The Sun Chronicles: The Power of Silence
by Cudabear
Summary: {DISCONTINUED; SEE LAST CHAPTER FOR DETAILS} (AU - Book 2) Six months after the Antechamber, the Sun prophesies that every human on the planet is going to be absorbed. With tensions high on the team, Private must regain Kowalski's trust for him to understand that his death will save them. With threats around every corner, Private realizes that it will be easier said than done.
1. Prologue

**The Sun Chronicles: The Power of Silence  
><strong>A Penguins of Madagascar Fanfiction Novel

Cudabear

**Disclaimer**: This is the second book in a series, and as such, it is strongly recommended that you read the first book before continuing. It is called "The Sun Chronicles: The Speed of Darkness." Continuing without doing so may result in confusion, as this book takes place after the events of that book.

* * *

><p><strong>The Power of<strong> **Silence**  
><strong>Prologue <strong>

**HIS HOME IS WARM**.

He likes the warmth. He snuggles his beak into his chest, curls up into a little ball. Occasionally a cold wave travels through him and he shivers, pulling his body closer into itself. He doesn't like the cold. The cold waves grow more omnipresent as he drifts in and out of sleep, locking his eyes tight, trying to go back to the warmth.

The warmth makes him feel comfortable and safe. The cold makes him feel scared and alone. He doesn't like those feelings. They make the world around him seem dark and forboding; quiet and terrifying. The penguin shivers again, wishing that the cold would just go away. He wants the warmth.

He realizes that he's grown awfully big for his home. He finds it hard to pull his legs and flippers away from its icy-cold edges. Each time he drifts into sleep he is awoken by more cold shivers; traveling up his appendages and chilling his core. Why is it so cold? He doesn't like the cold. Where did the warmth go?

He shivers again, though this time it is more violent. He suddenly grows fearful for the first time; maybe the cold is encroaching into his home, kicking him out. Maybe it was time to leave and find a new home. He had been here for a while already. As long as he could remember. Maybe this home had run out of warmth and he needed to find a new one. Something not so cold.

He feels a sudden burst of clostrophobia run through him, and he finds it hard to breath. Yes, the cold is kicking him out of his home. He needs to get out, get away from the cold; head for warmth. He likes the warmth. He wants the warmth. Acting quickly and empowered by his new need to escape, he jabs his foot forward. It contacts with the wall and leaves a noticible crack.

Yes, there must be warmth outside of this stupid house. He wants it. He smashes his foot forward again and the wall in front of him splits before his eyes. He shields them immediately as a pure white light greets his face. He gasps as his eyes burn even through his flippers and eyelids. He wonders if the light is the warmth he is looking for.

He is proven wrong, however, as something entirely unexpected caresses his beak. Something dark, brooding; evil for all he cares. It was nothing like the cold he had shivered against only a few moments ago. This cold was deeper, piercing his fluffy feathers and making him wish he hadn't broken his home open. He pulls his flippers into himself, shivering intensely. The cold was taking all of the warmth away. Why?

His home breaks open further as a powerful wind pushes it from the outside. He doesn't like the wind, it carries the cold. He cracks his eyes open again, but immediately snaps them shut. It was far too bright for him to see anything. He wishes he could be near the light. He knows it is going to be warmer than here.

He runs his flippers over his body, trying to find a warm position. It was futile, though; only more cold greets him as he rolls out onto the snow. He shudders as the icy crystals weave themselves between his down feathers, pressing themselves closer to his skin. He hates the snow. It is working with the cold. He wants the warmth to come and take away the snow and the cold.

He shakily pulls himself to his feet, still unable to open his eyes. The wind comes again and nearly knocks him over. The cold, the wind, the snow. They are all out to get him, he knows it. He wants nothing more than to crawl back into his home and curl back up into his ball. He is stupid for leaving it. He wants the warmth again, and to hear the voice that has kept him company for as long as he can remember.

The voice he loves to hear. It sung him lullabies; told him how much it loved him. It was a sweet, soothing, caring voice. Each time it graced his ears, he was filled with comfort. Sort of like how he was when he was warm.

Now, however, no voice greets his ears. It is silent. Silent and cold. He suddenly realizes that he hates the silence more than the cold. He wishes the voice would call his name. What was his name, anyway?

He shivers in place as the cold begins to grow painful on his skin. He wonders why his soft feathers don't shield him from the icy wind very well. He struggles a few steps forward through the snow, until he finds warmth again. He runs his flippers over it as he bumps into it. It's large, and very warm. He likes the warmth.

Finding a nook between the warm mass and the snow below him, he snuggles in. It is warm here, and he likes it. He feels some satisfaction seep into his heart as he realizes just how quiet it still is. Where could that voice be? He wants to hear it sing to him again. He likes when it sings.

Shielded from the cold, he rubs his eyes with his flippers. All he ever remembers seeing is blackness in front of himself, but maybe now he could make out what was around him. He cracks his eyes open a little. It doesn't hurt anymore, but he still shields his face from the glare of the snow.

In front of him he sees a cracked eggshell, its ivory pieces strewn about by the wind. Had that been his home? The one he just broke out of? Maybe he could repair it, he thought. It didn't look too bad. He returns his attention to the mass he had huddled into, wondering what it could be.

An empty face greets him as he turns his head. A penguin, but he doesn't know that. Its clear, green eyes are blank, staring at the broken egg. Its beak is ajar, and a scarlet liquid is seeping out of it and onto the ground. He turns his head further, running a flipper through the thick feathers behind him. There he finds more of the scarlet liquid flowing from the penguin's body, running down his flippers.

It was warm, but he was terrified. He likes the warmth, though. It confused him as the blood continued to run over his flipper. He didn't like the cold, why would something warm fill him with fear? Had this creature been the source of the voice? He hopes not. He really wishes the voice would sing to him now.

He follows the penguin's body with his eyes, tracing its slender frame. His eyes come to rest of its blank green ones again, and he shudders. He isn't cold, though. He had never seen this creature before, yet he is filled with a great sadness as he looks on at it. He feels connected to it. Almost as if its eyes were supposed to be the first thing to greet him upon escaping his old home. It isn't fair. Why is this creature leaking blood onto the snow? Why isn't it singing for him?

He gasps suddenly as he his taken up quickly by another penguin. It's moving quickly as he is brought back into contact with the icy air. He wants immediately to go back to the dead penguin, wishing with all of his heart that he would be taken away from the cold again. The penguin carrying him seems to acknowledge this as she wraps him tightly with her flippers, pushing his head down into her warm feathers.

Warmth. He likes warmth.

She reaches a strange structure. It is much different than his old egg home he notices as she walks through its ruined doorway. The place is a ruin, but it makes no difference to him. He likes it here. It is warm, and it is not quiet.

His ears are finally greeted by something other than the silence, and he is thankful for it. It is not the singing he was expecting though, instead it is very deep, commanding. Like nothing he had ever heard before. It made him feel uncomfortable and he pushes his head deeper into her feathers.

"Have you found someone?" it says.

"Yes, just this one," the one carrying him responds.

An entire city dead, and the only survivor is a child?" it wonders.

She seems shaky for a moment. He can hear it in her breathing, his face pressed tightly to her chest. "Something terrible happened here," she says.

"The question is, what? We've never been on good ground with the Penguin City, but we'd never wish this," the deep voice answers.

"This little guy was lucky. He was about to freeze to death when I found him. He was snuggled up with his mother," she explains.

"His Mother? Where is she?"

"She's dead, like the others," his new caretaker explains, continuing to sound uneasy.

Silence envelops the room for a while. He doesn't like the silence. It reminds him too much of his old home. He finds that he would rather be there than here. He wishes suddenly that he never kicked it open in the first place. Maybe then the cold would have just left him alone.

The penguin carrying him waddles over to a corner of the room and sits down. He clutches her feathers tightly, not wanting to look around at the voices sounding around him. She gently touches the bottom of his beak, bringing his tiny face to look into her eyes.

Purple. Beautiful.


	2. A Plague of Dreams

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 1 – A Plague of Dreams**

**PRIVATE SAT BOLT UPRIGHT.**

His eyes were wide, his breathing accelerated, and his heart was pounding in his ears. His skin was burning like it could have been a hundred degrees in the bunker, but he still shivered. His scar pinged with intense pain and he cringed, holding a flipper to his forehead.

The dream, it had seemed so real. The shell, the dead mother, the purple eyes. In fact, it was like he felt them burning into his skull now. He looked towards the darkness to assure himself that there was no strange penguin in the room, but for some reason felt like it was still present. He shivered again as the thoughts spun through his mind like a whirlpool in the ocean.

He needed some fresh air. Some time to think, maybe calm down. The penguin inched himself out of his bunk and up the ladder that lead to the surface of the headquarters. Being as quiet as he could, he slipped the fishbowl hatch lid of the bunker open and pulled himself onto the surface of the habitat. He closed it again, muffling the click that it made as much as possible. He didn't want to wake his teammates up again.

Private stood up straight and stretched his flippers over his head. Yawning, he looked around at the surrounding zoo. The penguin habitat was placed at the center, and it gave him a good view of all of the different exhibits around him. He could see some of the animals sleeping peacefully in their homes. Julien the lemur was curled up on his throne like normal, Roy the rhinoceros was snoring from his enclosure, and Phil and Mason the chimps were sprawled out in their tree.

It was a very peaceful night, and Private knew that he'd be much better off sleeping right now. In fact, the best thing to get his mind off the dream was sleep, but he knew it would just come back. The dreams always did. He found it nearly impossible to get any sort of rest as he was always awoken in shock as the dreams became realer and realer. It was like he was becoming the creatures he saw in his dreams, taking on their bodies, living their experiences.

What he didn't understand was why. Why were these dreams plaguing him so? He had nightmares in the past, sure, but they were never like this. These dreams weren't exactly nightmares, either. They were never particularly scary. So why have them? Why did they always leave him in a daze, gasping for breath?

He waddled over to the edge of the concrete ice floe and sat down on its edge, running his webbed foot quietly through the water. It felt cool on his warm skin, and he enjoyed it. He looked up towards the sky, but was disappointed when he saw it was completely covered in thick, ominous clouds. Even in New York the stars would sometimes shine. There would be no stars tonight, though.

Maybe it would even rain, he thought. The rain might drown out the dreams. Then he could actually get some sleep.

He jabbed a flipper to a face as a sharp pain edged itself through his scar. It had been hurting a lot recently, but he didn't know why. Sarge had given him that scar months ago, yet it still hurt. He thought it must have healed by now. In fact, he was pretty sure it had healed over only a few weeks after he had taken the business end of that dagger. Now it hurt, and only after he woke up from one of the dreams.

Private jumped slightly as he heard the fishbowl hatch open. The penguin whipped his head around to see his flat-headed leader pulling himself up the ladder. When the penguin was on top of the bunker and the hatch was closed again, he spoke.

"Another dream?" he asked. He always began with that question.

"Yeah," Private responded.

"What was it about this time? Was it the Sun again?" he continued, waddling over to where Private sat and sitting next to him.

"No, no... not the Sun again," the smaller penguin responded.

The bird looked up into his leader's eyes as he answered. Skipper had been his leader for around the last three years. Private diligently followed Skipper's orders whenever they were given. The penguin was only a little taller than Private and had a flat head that highlighted his heavy brow, giving his face a grim look as he lowered it towards private.

"Then what happened?" The penguin pestered.

Private didn't know why, but Skipper seemed to be the only one who cared about his dreams; the only one who asked questions. It was becoming frustrating now, though. He would always venture out into the night to try to make sense of what he had experienced in the dreams, but Skipper would always follow him. No matter how quiet he tried to be, the leader would always emerge a few moments later and ask him questions. He was growing more and more tired of it by the day, but maybe that was just because of his lack of sleep. Needless to say, he answered his superior's questions. No need to get maintenance duty for withholding information.

"I don't know, it wasn't like any of the other dreams," answered the small bird, looking at the surface of the water uneasily.

Skipper seemed to notice this and tilted his head slightly with curiosity. "How so?"

Private felt himself tense a little bit as he recalled the dream. "Do we really need to talk about this right now?" he said slightly angrily, but then immediately clapped his flippers over his beak in regret.

Skipper lowered his brow further, giving him a growing look of intimidation. The leader's crystal blue eyes sparkled in the light from the lampposts surrounding the ice flow. Eyes that gave way to something past his facade of brute force and hardness, something along the lines of understanding. Private didn't realize that, though. All he saw was his valiant leader, the one he'd follow into Hell if need be.

"Yes," he responded. Private turned his head away from Skipper, a growing feeling of helplessness growing inside of him. The last thing he wanted to do right now was describe that terrible dream. The empty green eyes and the mysterious purple ones.

"Well," he began, albeit shakily, "This dream wasn't in the Sun, and the Sun wasn't there. I mean, to talk to. This time I was a baby penguin, just hatching from an egg. It was like I was taking my very first few steps into the world, and I remember being very cold."

Private paused for a moment to take a few breaths. He heard a police siren sound from far away, breaking the awkward silence that was held between the two. Skipper continued to gaze at him intently. Private wished he would look away for only a moment. His crystal blue eyes were worse than the purple ones. Knowing Skipper wouldn't be satisfied until he heard the full story, he continued.

"There was another penguin there. I heard someone say it was my mother, and I felt connected to her in the dream, but I've never seen her in my life. It couldn't have been _my_ mother."

"Obviously it wasn't," Skipper commented.

"Yeah," continued the smaller bird. "I remember her being dead. She was bleeding quite badly. Then another penguin was there, and she picked me up. She took me to this ruined building and there were some emperor penguins talking there."

"Ruined building?" questioned the leader. "What was there?"

"I don't know, I didn't pay attention to it. I just kept pushing my head further into the feathers of the penguin who was carrying me, like I didn't want her to let go."

Skipper nodded thoughtfully. For the matter-of-fact bird he was, he knew when it was important to listen. Private was sure the leader would have loved to slap the answers out of him in a heartbeat. He knew his soldier better than that, though. Private needed time to explain things. The smaller bird was thankful for his leader's patience.

"Then they started talking for a while. They said I was the only survivor of some sort of massacre. All of the penguins died except for me."

"Did you hear anything about a location?" Skipper inquired.

"Yeah, actually," nodded Private. "They said they were at the Penguin City."

Skipper's eyes grew wide at the words. "Nobody survived the attack of the Penguin City. Are you sure that is what they said?"

Private nodded, then looked sadly towards the ground. He remembered their trek through the Penguin City in Antarctica six months ago, and the thought of it still sent shivers through his body. The place had been laid to complete ruin, destroyed by Sargent Caspian Fishslader and his Penguin Army. Skipper would know about that better than he did, though, as Skipper had been the one who tried to stop it from happening.

"The last thing I saw was a pair of purple eyes. I think they belonged to the penguin who carried me away from my dead mother. I don't know why, but it I have the oddest feeling they're watching me now, too."

Skipper crossed his flipper, lowering his brow seriously. "Purple eyes? That's not a natural color, Private," he said.

He sounded doubtful, and Private felt scared for a moment. Then it went away. Why was he afraid that Skipper didn't believe him? It was what he had seen in the dream. Nobody could tell him otherwise. He had seen the purple eyes, and they still sent shivers up his spine as he thought about them.

"It's what I saw," the bird returned to his leader.

Skipper paused for a moment, staring at his specialist with a distinct look of seriousness on his face. "I believe you," he said.

Private was surprised slightly by the statement. Skipper wasn't usually one to believe phony stories. Normally he'd immediately explain why the thought was irrational. Anything outside of the ordinary, outside of protocol, upset him. Now, however, he had come to listen to Private's stories, taking in every bit.

"What do you think it has to do with the Sun?" Private asked, shifting slightly in his place.

Skipper shrugged. "If its anything like those other dreams you've been having, it's probably significant. I'm curious as to how the Penguin City got into it."

"Me too," responded the specialist.

He realized now that he enjoyed Skipper's company during these late night talks. Skipper was trying to help him make sense of his visions, to bring some level of understanding to the seemingly improbable scenarios that played in his head. Private had always taken Kowalski for that kind of bird, always interested in learning something new. Kowalski and him didn't get along too well anymore, though. Not since the dreams started.

"Keep me informed of any more dreams you have," Skipper told him before getting up and disappearing down the hatch.

Private was left in silence once again, broken only by the sounds of cars speeding along down the road outside the walls of the zoo. Skipper always finished with that statement before he left. Private hated that statement. Skipper always left immediately after he had the information he needed, never stayed to help him cope with his problem. Not there to help him fall asleep again.

The leader was the only one who seemed to care, yes, but Private felt like the leader only cared about his dreams and not who he actually was. Skipper was only concerned about Private's subconscious trips to the Sun, and what the Sun had to say. So far it had not been fruitful, but tonight seemed different. Skipper seemed to have perked up at the mention of the Penguin City. It could have just been a coincidence, though, thought Private.

That was the kind of bird Skipper was, though. Matter-of-fact. He wasn't going to stick around longer then he absolutely needed to. Private sighed. He gazed out over the habitats again, wondering if any of the other animals were having the same dreams he was having. It was possible, right?

After all, Marlene and Julien had also been in the antechamber with him that day he got assimilated into the Sun. At least he thought he had been, like Issac Hull. Instead he was cursed by these damn dreams, taking him to places he didn't want to go and showing him things he didn't want to see. Without warning they sent his mind spiraling out of control. He hated the dreams.

Actually, he found himself growing to hate more and more things as time went on. He'd have to ask the Sun about that the next time he saw it.

That wasn't going to be tonight, though. Tonight was going to be another sleepless night.


	3. A Coming of Age

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 2 – Coming of Age**

**"YOU'RE GOING TO BE FINE**.**"**

Her words were intended to comfort him, fill him with confidence, and excite him for his big day ahead. They did almost the dead opposite, though, and he felt his stomach tighten turn itself into a knot. He knew this day had been coming for some time now, but he still wasn't ready. Just because he was going to be three years old this year didn't mean that he was ready to take on the responsibility of an adult penguin. The idea of courting a female brought a lump into his throat.

"Is something wrong, sweetheart?" His mother said as she smoothed the feathers on his head. She was an emperor penguin, and long ago he had determined that she wasn't his biological mother. He didn't share her tall frame, large stature, yellow chest feathers, or purple eyes. The fact that she was his adopted mother had bothered him at first, but now he was thankful she was around. Sometimes he felt like she was her only friend. After all, it was her that had saved him as a baby.

"Nothing's wrong," he answered, his green eyes shimmering in the dim light. "Just a little nervous."

She looked at him concernedly, continuing to smooth his rough feathers. They never seemed to stay in line, and as she smoothed them they just popped back out of place. "Don't worry about it, everyone is going to be happy to see you. I'm sure there are plenty of girls out there that are dreaming for you to ask them the big question."

The young penguin looked to the ground, his face showing a little bit of anger. "They don't want anything to do with me. They think I'm weird, because I'm different."

His mother looked understandingly toward him, lifting his beak to look back up at her like she always did since he was a baby. "You're not different. We're all penguins. They'll love you."

"No they won't!" He shouted suddenly, making his mother flinch. "I'm not like any of those penguins. I'm different!"

His mother paused for a moment, looking at him, her purple eyes looking into his green ones. The penguin knew his mother also knew it was true. He was different, he wasn't an emperor penguin like the others. He was several inches shorter, and though he had grown burly over his years, he barely reached his mother's chest. His feathers were ivory on the front and charcoal black on his back, unlike the off-white and orange feathers that graced the bodies of the emperors. He wasn't as stiff as them, either. They stood tall like planks of wood, while he found it much easier to run, jump and slide.

"You might be different," she said, continuing to console him, "but nobody cares. Everyone sees you as one of the family. For all I care, and I'm sure the others care, too, you are an emperor. Nobody can say otherwise."

Her words calmed him down a bit, but he was still agitated. He really didn't want to go out into the square and stand in front of all the others. Banar Swiftfeathers, their clan chieftain, was going to announce him as a fully grown adult, and that he was ready for courtship. He didn't _feel_ ready, though. He didn't think he was ready to be an adult.

"Now go out there and make me proud," his mother told him, and he offered her an awkward smile. He hesitated before walking of the icy structure and into the daylight. His mother followed him, but she diverted from his path to join a growing group of penguins that was filling the other side of the square.

The square itself was the center of the Penguin City. It was where the emperors had made their residence for the last three years, as long as he could remember. The stories the other penguins have told him described it as a desolate wasteland, the aftermath of a massacre, when they had inhabited it for the first time. That was when he had been found, clutching to his biological mother. His adopted mother had taken him in without question, the only survivor of that fateful day. He wasn't sure why the Penguin City had been destroyed, but he knew he hated the idea of it.

"There's our star," Banar's voice boomed suddenly, making him jump in place. He didn't realize he had been standing in the opening of the structure behind him, staring at the crowd for some time. He suddenly realized all of the emperors were looking on at him in anticipation, and he averted his eyes. He felt shaky for a moment as he made his way to Banar at the center of the square, standing in front of the ruined town statue. He was a massive penguin, even for emperor standards, but held a cheerful smile on his face. His beak was stubby and there was a noticeable chunk missing of it.

"Come over here, son, there's nothing to worry about," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. The young penguin heard laughter coming from the crowd as he hurried to take his place next to the chieftain.

Banar nodded at him, and then turned towards the crowd. "As all of you are familiar," he announced, "whenever an emperor penguin reaches three years of age, we hold a coming of age ceremony. Today is no exception to that tradition."

The large emperor, which stood a full foot taller than the young penguin did, turned once again to look at him. "What is your name, son?" he asked.

The young penguin opened his mouth to speak, but choked. He was scared stiff at the sight of all of the other penguins around him, their stares burning into his face. He really wished he wasn't standing in front of all of them. After a moment he found his voice again and said quietly, "Dmitri."

"What was that?" Banar asked.

"Dmitri. Dmitri Mooneyes," he responded, more loudly. His eyes found his mother in the crowd and he saw her smiling. It boosted his confidence, if only a bit.

"Dmitri. Hows it feel to be leaving the restraints of childhood and becoming an adult?" the chieftain continued.

"Um," he stuttered, "kind of scary."

Banar laughed, which encouraged the rest of the crowd to chuckle as well. Dmitri smiled, as he became aware of the emperor's attempt to make ceremony as lighthearted as possible. "He's very humble isn't he?" he chortled. "Now, onto business. Who are your parents, Dmitri? Point them out for us to see."

The young penguin paused for a moment, and Banar seemed to see the look of sadness that flashed over his eyes. Dmitri couldn't help but think about the stories he had heard about his dead biological mother, his father who was never found. He was assumed dead, he figured. Banar opened his mouth to cover for him, but was cut off instead.

"There," he said, pointing to the purple-eyed penguin, "Melanda Mooneyes. I never met my father."

Banar nodded solemnly, and then continued, "Melanda, are there any words you would like to offer before your sun becomes his own penguin, a member of our society?"

His mother shook her head timidly as all of the other penguins found her in the crowd with their eyes. Dmitri couldn't help but think that he had gotten his shyness from her.

"Alright then. Dmitri, I'll ask you the same questions that have been asked to emperor penguins for generations. You must take on the oaths of our society, and you must obey them faithfully. Will you do that?"

"Yes, I will," the younger penguin answered quickly. He remembered what to say from the countless other coming-of-age ceremonies he had seen.

"First off, brotherhood," Banar began. "Do you promise to help your fellow penguin whenever possible, to be there for him in his time of need, to offer him a fish if he is starving, to care for his children if he passes away?"

"Yes, I do."  
>"Excellent," smiled the chieftain. "Next off, loyalty. Do you promise to stand beside your fellow penguin in the event you must defend the flock? Will you stay loyal to all of your fellow penguins even in the face of death? Will you stand firm, and promise to never perform a traitorous action against any emperor penguin, regardless of the circumstance?"<p>

"Yes, I do."

"Great, one more to go. The last thing you need to show is faithfulness. This isn't the same as loyalty," Banar said, nudging Dmitri and coaxing a few laughs out of the crowd. "I'm talking about your mate. When you find the one, do you promise to be faithful to her no matter what happens? To rear your chicks with her, work with her, and never leave her? Do you promise to never stray from her, never leave her behind, and always be her guide?"

"Yes..." he paused as he glanced over all of the eligible females. Several of them looked shyly away, and Dmitri felt his cheeks grow warm. "I do."

"Alright, Dimitri Mooneyes, son of Melanda Mooneyes," Banar anounced proudly, "it is with great pleasure that I bestow you with... Ouch!"

Dimitri and all of the other penguins snapped their vision to the chieftain, whose cry of pain echoed around the square, silencing all of their voices. Dmitri felt as if time was frozen as the large emperor yanked a pink feathered dart out of his side, his face contorted with anger.

Both Banar and Dmitri spun around to see a group of humans standing in one of the pathways that lead away from the square. One of them was holding a high-powered dart gun and fist-pumping in celebration of his accuracy. Dmitri's heart skipped a beat.

The hunters had returned. Instantly, the square erupted in chaos as darts began to rain down from the humans.

"Get to saftey! Hide the children!" Banar shouted as loud as he could, but Dmitri noticed his voice was already becoming shaky as the drugs took affect. The chieftain turned to him and shouted, "What are you doing? Get away from here!"

Dmitri felt as though his legs were frozen to the ice below him, his flippers shaking madly as Banar was hit with another dart. He yanked it out as quickly as he had the previous one, but Dmitri already saw the vial had delivered its package. Banar woozily fell to one knee, still looking up at him.

"Kid, get out of here! Now!" he shouted.

Dmitri took his advice this time and bolted away from the square as a dart flew by his face. Most of the other penguins had scattered as well, but several laid unconscious on the ice. Dmitri could see darts sticking, some of them hit by several. He dove behind a block of ice, crouching into a little nook to shield himself from from the hunters.

"Oi, we got ourselves a good haul this time, gents," came a raspy voice from over the rubble.

"This big one is going to fetch a pretty penny. He's the biggest one I've ever seen," said another voice.

"We can admire them later. Let's get out of here before some of those researchers show up. The last thing we want is someone after us. C'mon, help me haul this one onto the sled," said a third voice.

"This one's massive, haha! Great shot!" exclaimed the second voice.

He must have been talking about Banar! Dmitri felt his flippers tense slightly and he clentched. He had heard the horror stories about the hunters. They shot penguins with their sleep darts and then dragged them away, never to be seen again. Dmitri had heard many stories about what happens to them after they are captured. They are apparently sold to the highest bidder, and if nobody will buy them, they scalp them and sell the feathers.

There was a big market out there for penguin feathers in the human world, apparently. Suddenly, Dmitri heard Banar's words from only moments ago play in his head. _Do you promise to stand by your fellow penguin in the event you must defend the flock?_

Suddenly, the penguin wondered why everyone had fled, when they all had agreed to the same oath. Maybe it was because they all knew fighting the humans was futile. They had the sleep-bringing guns, and they were just penguins. One prick and any penguin would be asleep in a matter of moments.

"Hey, check this one out!" one of the voices exclaimed, startling Dmitri.

"Wow, I'll be damned. Purple eyes!" another returned.

Dmitri's gut wound itself into a tight knot. There was only one penguin in the entire city they could be talking about. His heart rate quickened as he peaked over the edge of the ice block. His fears were confirmed as he saw two of the hunters hoisting Melanda onto the back of their sled. He had to slap a flipper over his beak to stop himself from crying out her name, as he knew she was asleep already. The drugs worked fast.

He had to do something about it, though. Gazing over the penguins already stacked on the back of the sled, his rage grew. They were strewn about so carelessly, their flippers crushed in between each other. Banar was near the bottom, his face looking blank. It sickened him and he felt a growing rage bubbled inside of him. Where was everyone else right now?

He glanced around the square. It was a ghost town now, not a penguin in sight. All of the unconscious penguins had been gathered up, and he was sure the rest had gone into hiding. He wished with all of his heart that they would hop out and attack the hunters, but nobody did.

Suddenly, he realized that the hunters were making their way out of the city. In a matter of seconds, his mother and friends would be gone forever. Thinking quickly, he raced out from behind the ice block. His eyes were welling up with tears because of his anger, and his mind was foggy.

He charged to one of the hunters and slapped him on the back of his leg as hard as he could. He repeated the process several times until his flippers stung. Unfortunately, the hunter was not phased.

"Aw, aren't you a cute little one," he said.

Dmitri felt a sharp pinch in his back and knew he had been hit by a dart. Immediately his vision grew cloudy and he found it hard to keep his balance. After only a few seconds he had lost the battle with gravity and he fell on the hard ground, finding his breath coming shakily.

"Looks like we've got one more to haul with us," said one of the hunters. His voice sounded like it could have been miles away and it was very fuzzy, but Dmitri could still make out the meaning behind it.

"No way. We've got our load and that one is way too small," responded another.

"Yeah," agreed the final hunter, "besides, you just hit him with enough tranquilizer to knock out an emperor penguin. That dose is probably going to kill him, and then he won't be worth hardly anything. Better to just leave him for the polar bears."

The hunters chuckled between themselves as Dmitri's vision fell completely black. The world was quickly slipping away from him, and all he could think about was his mother. Only seconds after his coming of age, he had her in his responsibilities to the flock.

He had failed them all.


	4. A Study of the Sun

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 3 - A Study of the Sun<strong>

**EDGAR BLACKBEAK HAD A PEN IN HIS FLIPPER.**

Utilizing the power that the pen held, he would be able to record all of his thoughts. Anything he wanted, anything he imagined could be etched onto the paper before him, immortalized for longer than he would be around. He knew this, and he had only one thing in mind as he flipped open to a blank page in Johnson's journal.

The Sun was an immensely powerful thing, and that fact needed to be shared. He brought the pen to the paper and began to write.

* * *

><p><em>A Study of the Sun<em>

_May 4__th__, 2010_

_ Many things are unclear to me as I write this first entry. If you've read all of Johnson's notes up to this point, as have I, you probably see how unclear they were. Johnson was very intelligent, yes, and he was wise to spend a week reading the lore from the Sun's library, but that's where a problem arises. Johnson only had a week to study something that a single individual would need several lifetimes to even begin to understand. A massive team of scholars could spend their entire lives researching in that library and only just crack the surface of what it held._

_ For the week that he did have, though, Johnson wrote as much he possibly could. At times his writing because illegible, showing the long nights he spent writing himself into exhaustion. Even so, he remains faithful to his format and structure, giving a summarized outline out what the Sun was and where it came from. That being said, some conclusions can be drawn from his notes, but they cannot be proven. I can take assumed facts from what he has written, but I cannot assure they are truth. That leaves me standing on shaky ground. I can't believe much until I read the lore for myself._

_ I will be sure to put much more time into studying the Sun when I arrive to Antarctica. I shall further my understanding of the mysterious artifact, using Johnson's notes as a foothold. It is with great anticipation that I head for Antarctica now. It has been close to three years since I've last seen the Sun. I will never forget that fateful day when Manfredi's team rightfully stole it away from me and Caspian Fishslader. That day changed me, and to this day I wonder what ever became of Manfredi and my traitorous leader._

_ Before I proceed, however, if you are reading this, you should be aware of one thing. The Sun is not to be toyed with. It is an artifact of unimaginable power. Even though I can't be sure of much right now, I can prove that. It was used to power an entire infrastructure that required six natural gas generators to run. Even then, I struggled to maintain the power it contained without blowing the entire place up. It is not something to be played with. Any action taken with it will have direct consequences on the planet and any living organisms in its immediate radius. _

_ Now, I will begin from the beginning. That is, the origin of the Sun. _

_ Johnson's spent the most time analyzing the Sun's origin. That could either be because one's natural inclination is to begin from the beginning, or because he thought the week he had to study it would last much longer. Many of his later entries go back to the origin as well, presumably because he found more information regarding its formation._

_ From what I interpret, Johnson concluded that the Sun is as old as the Earth itself. This could be associated with his inaccurate need to address the Sun as 'Earth's life energy'. Moreover, his conclusions seem to have been brought from some of the oldest texts he located. It makes logical, sense, yes, but how does one draw these conclusions when the works are not dated?_

_ Apparently, the Sun was formed around the time the Earth was created itself. This is one of many areas where Johnson's thoughts become unclear as his writing drifts off into incoherent, illegible __babble. What I can draw from it is something to do with 'the first day', when 'the light was created'. He goes on for some time, but nothing makes sense to me. Is he referencing the day, billions of years ago, when the universe was flung into existence? Or is there a theological meaning underlining his words?_

_ Either way, one important conclusion can be drawn from this statement. The Sun is as old as the Earth is, if not older. It can also be assumed, because of this, it was formed naturally as a result of the turmoil the universe was put through during the first years after its formation. _

_ I know of no natural phenomenon that would result in so much energy being captured into one small sphere. It is possible that, like the star it is named after, it was formed from rapidly concentrated hydrogen, fueled by nuclear fission. That's hard to believe, though, because then the gravity field it would emit would alone pull the Earth in upon itself._

_ This brings up many other questions as well. For example, how did it get captured inside that canister? I've seen glass, in very specific, rare conditions, form naturally from nature, but there is nothing that could force it into a perfect cylinder. Furthermore, there is no glass I am aware of that can withstand the pressure and heat from a star without disintegrating entirely. It could be some super-strong, manufactured glass, but that eliminates the idea of it forming naturally._

_ Johnson actually alludes the Sun to a star at one point. I think it is a reasonable assumption, considering the energy output it is capable of, including light and heat. It is so tiny, though. In retrospect to the actual sun, it's insignificant. There are so many unanswered questions in Johnson's notes, and I am left with great curiosity._

_ So, assuming Johnson's statement is correct and it was formed at the birth of the universe, how did it get here? How did it end up at the possibly the only hospitable location in all of existence when all things tend towards chaos? How did it not destroy the Earth upon first arriving? And if it was formed by natural causes, do other, similar objects exist elsewhere in the universe?_

_ The temple constructed around the Sun also bears conflict to this theory. It is common knowledge that nothing of that stature could have been formed by random chance; it must have been constructed. By whom, then? From my knowledge, Antarctica was not even discovered until the mid-19__th__ century, and there is no ancient civilization I am aware of that possessed the ability to cross the arctic circle, let alone reach the south pole._

_ It's location also begs to be explained. Dead center on the planet's magnetic south pole. More evidence that the temple was not formed by freak chance. Whoever built it knew where they were building it and why. _

_ Johnson's notes insist that the temple has been around as long as the Sun has, but that doesn't bear any logical fruit. It is an example of his sometimes inconclusiveness, as he tends to contradict himself with these statements. Some of his 'facts' are reasonable, but as stated before, lack sufficient proof to exhibit their validity. Therefore it is impossible to conclude where the temple came from._

_ It isn't out of my range of belief that the Sun has existed as long as the Earth, though. Something with that much pure energy contained within itself could not have been formed by anything other than natural phenomenon. It seems so perfect, though. Then again, the Earth is a diamond in a black sea of coal. If it formed naturally over the last few hundred million years, then why couldn't the Sun as well?  
>There is much more to discuss as time goes on. I will be sure to revisit this topic of the Sun's origin when I've had a chance to analyze the texts for myself. Johnson's notes have been helpful, yes, but he leaves much to be desired.<em>

_ Desires that will hopefully be satisfied by the contents of the Sun's library. Then again, there is no saying that whoever scribed those books knew what they were talking about, either. Come to think of it, there's no explanation how they ever got there. Someone or some group had to have some sort of superior knowledge of the Sun, but how did they get it?_

_ Maybe through trial and error, though that doesn't explain how they determined the Sun's origin __when it as as old as the planet itself._

* * *

><p>Edgar put down the pen, his flipper cramping a bit from all of the writing. He smiled slightly as he looked over the pages, though. He would look back at this entry when he got to Antarctica, and commentate more on what he found out for himself. His curiosity regarding the sun had never been more insatiable, that was for sure.<p>

The penguin looked out of one of the port-hole windows beside him. The water looked choppy and he saw as ice chunks floated by, increasing in size. He was almost to Antarctica.

He couldn't wait to get deep into those texts.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note:<strong> Just a forewarning that this story is going to have some of my personal theological beliefs interjected at parts. I'm not trying to offend anyone, so if you are easily offended by that kind of thing, it may not be wise to continue reading.

Now, provided I haven't scared you all off, here's a little timeline to show what happened up to this point with clear dates (to explain why this journal is dated in 2010):

**May - October, 2007** - Skipper, Johnson, and Manfredi's experiences with the Penguin Army.

**September - November, 2009** - The events the _The Speed of Darkness_.

beginning **May, 2010 **- The events of _The Power of Silence_.

So as you can see the timeline centers around the time I began writing _The Speed of Darkness_. Just something to keep in mind as the story progresses.


	5. An Unwanted Harbinger

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 4 - An Unwanted Harbinger**

**"WALK WITH ME."**

The Sun said it nonchalantly, like it was between two friends. Private had come to trust the celestial being before him as much as he did a friend, though. After all, he had already been trapped inside this mysterious place, with its whiteness extending into infinity, many times over. Each time he went to sleep, he was taken here.

The round penguin diligently followed the glowing penguin away from the floating man; their usual meeting place. Issac Hull was always floating there, always looking peaceful, never seeming to age. As far as Private could tell, he was always in the same place. It was useful, though, as it was something to signal his position in the endless space. Something to bring him and Sun together, so they could hold their discussions.

Ever since Private had been struck by that ball of energy from the Sun by Sarge that day in the antechamber, he had been brought here on a near nightly basis. The first time he had spoken with the Sun itself was only hours after the energy had hit him. He had been confused at first, but the Sun brought his level of understanding up to a higher level. The place he was in, in his best definition, was the Sun, and the penguin that stood across from him now was also the Sun, taking on a form that he could communicate with. It was like he was being absorbed into the Sun to have the conversations each time he fell asleep.

So far their conversations had not been very conclusive. The Sun was very cryptic, and didn't seem to know much more than Private did. Private often found it speaking to him in riddles as he tried to decipher their meanings. They often left him feeling confused and delirious when he awoke from his trips here, and he sometimes had trouble remembering what was said. Skipper's talks helped him recall as much information as possible, but for the most part, nothing was making sense.

One night the Sun had told him about fish population distribution. Private couldn't believe it at the time; something so technical and useless as that had apparently been the most pressing information that the Sun could bestow upon him. It wasn't until he woke up and realized the Sun was showing him why the New York and the majority of the east coast no longer had any fish. He still didn't find that particularly important, but it was at least somewhat helpful. Something to do with currents, water temperatures, and food chains; Private had already forgotten what had been exchanged.

There were nights that were more important, though. Important to the extent that it actually disturbed Private. Some weeks ago, the Sun had told him of a great tragedy that was about to come, afflicting someone close to Private. It had told him that one of his friends was going to die at some point in the near future, and Private had trouble believing it.

Kowalski, on the other hand, completely threw the idea out of the window. Their conversation regarding the issue had not gone over well. Kowalski, for one, didn't believe that Private's dreams were real. He also didn't believe that a mysterious ghost penguin had actually prophesied his death. Private was more believing than that, though. He felt like the Sun was someone—or something—he could trust. Even if it did seem far-fetched, it might actually be true.

The round penguin looked up at his new found friend. It had assumed the form of a penguin. It had told him once that it had no specific form, and it was everything. Private merely saw it in the shape of a penguin, as that was what made the most sense to him. Even though, the Sun held an intimidating look around it. It could have either been because of its massive size, easily twice Private's height, or because it always seemed to be emitting a ghostly, white glow. Private found the most interesting part of it the fact that its eyes possessed no pupils, like he was blind.

The pair trekked on for some time, the only sound being their footfalls echoing around the space. Issac's floating form began to fade into a small speck as Private looked back at him. He suddenly felt scared that he would loose his sense of direction in the endless whiteness, but was reassured by the fact the Sun was still with him.

"So," the glowing penguin began, his voice bouncing around Private at all angles as he spoke. Private had been extremely intimidated at first, but now was used to it. "Did you share what we discussed with your friend?"

Private nodding, knowing exactly what he was referencing; Kowalski's supposed sacrifice. The idea of it still made him a little agitated, but he remained calm in his response. "He didn't take it well. In fact, thinks kind of escalated out of control. He's pretty mad at me now."

"Oh?" the Sun wondered. "Are you sure he is the correct one? Do you remember what I said about him?"  
>"Yeah. Intelligent with a knack for invention and past full of tragedy. Also someone I can trust with my life. There's only one penguin I know that meets those qualifications," Private explained.<p>

"It is curious that he is filled with unbelief at my words, then. I assumed he would be accepting of them wholeheartedly."  
>"Yeah, well he's not one to believe anything without proof. The whole event that took place in the antechamber changed him somehow, too. He's very cautious now. He won't listen to me at all."<p>

"That's a shame," the Sun responded. He turned his face to the whiteness that stood before the two penguins as they finally stopped waddling. "He will have to live up to his destiny soon. You will need to get him to see the light in the darkness, as many lives will be depending on him soon."

Private cocked his head curiously to his new-found mentor, wondering what in the world he was talking about. The penguin closed his eyes and looked towards the ground.

"There is something you should know," it began.

"What's that?" Private asked, looking at the mysterious penguin curiously.

"Look around you. What do you see?"

Private tapped his beak thoughtfully. "A whole lot of nothing," he said.

"Exactly, emptiness. Nothing." the Sun announced, turning his face to the smaller bird.

"Why is that concerning? This place goes on forever, doesn't it? You can't be lonely, though. You've got me and Issac."

"Your visits are pleasant, Private," it returned, "it is nice to have someone to actually converse with. Issac doesn't have a whole lot to say. He really only thinks about his boat."

Private thought about for this for a moment. If Issac was held in some sort of suspended animation where he could only communicate with the Sun through thoughts, why couldn't he also hear them? The Sun told him that all thoughts inside this place were shared by all, so why did Private never receive input from the Sun itself?

"I'm not sure why you are unable to hear the thoughts," the Sun responded simply, reading Private's thoughts. Private felt ashamed for a moment as the mystical penguin continued to stare into the emptiness. He knew the Sun didn't like it when he didn't announce his thoughts vocally. "Maybe it has something to do with your partial absorption. After all, you are the first organism I've ever actually had walk beside me."

"I do walk with you. So why is the emptiness of this place worrying you?" Private wondered, feeling a bit concerned for the strange penguin.

"You can't forget that I am the Sun, and therefore if it feels empty, I feel it too. I feel empty, Private, but there are other feelings that are coming along side it."

Private looked confused. Was the Sun hungry? He stopped himself from slapping his forehead at the thought as the Sun smirked in his direction.

"What feeling could be coming along with emptiness?" he asked. "Are you sad, or something?"  
>"Not sadness. This is an odd feeling, like something I have not experienced in a long time," the Sun said, returning its solemn gaze back out to the endless void. "It is expansion, Private. I'm growing."<p>

Private felt confused as the Sun's words reached him. "Growing? Isn't this place endless anyway?"

"Not endless. Some things in the world may be limitless, but I am not. However, I'm growing as though I'm making room for something. It has been a long time since I've felt this feeling before," the Sun continued.

"It doesn't make any sense," Private returned.

"Maybe it does. Do you remember Issac Hull?" Private nodded. "He takes up a very minor amount of space. Nothing comparable to the emptiness that surrounds him."

Private nodded again. He didn't like where this was going. He looked up at the large penguin as its eyes remained locked on the nothingness in front of it.

"I'm making room for many more like Issac, Private. Sometime soon, I will be filled many more just like Issac. They will be absorbed into me, and they will be held here for some time. I estimate somewhere around the lines of six billion..."

"Six billion!" Private exclaimed, "That's just about every human on the face of the Earth!" He recalled hearing the figure on the Penguin's television, the night he had Kowalski had gotten into their big fight.

"I am aware of this. This is why I'm expanding, making room for all of the new individuals that will soon grace this space," answered the Sun.

"But... but," Private wondered, trying to counter what the Sun was prophesying, "how would that even happen? Issac was absorbed because he got hit directly. How in the world are six billion people going to be hit in similar ways? Is something going to go on a crazy spree with the Sun?"

The Sun sighed, looking suddenly tired. "I'm not sure of these things. You can be sure that it will happen, though."

Private felt a little concerned for the Sun, suddenly. He wondered if the act of expansion was taxing on it. It had just said it had its limits, and maybe it was growing tired.

"I'm not tired," it said, startling the small bird. Private couldn't get used to the fact that the Sun was reading his thoughts. "I am merely preparing."

"Is there any way I can stop this from happening?" Private asked. "I mean, Skippah, the others, and I stopped Sarge from using... well, you... from taking over the Earth once already. Maybe we can stop whoever it is who's planning on doing this?"  
>"It's impossible," the Sun returned, making Private feel a little anger. He tried his best to control his thoughts, but couldn't help but let a little emotion seep into what he was thinking. The Sun perked up at this immediately and asked, "Why do you feel anger towards me?"<p>

The smaller bird clenched his beak as he grew a little more angry, knowing the celestial being was already aware of the answer. "Nothing is impossible in my book," he argued. "If you just tell me how to stop it, this mass absorption will never happen."

The Sun smirked in his direction again, whisking away Private's angry thoughts. It had a habit of doing that. Whenever Private felt the slightest amount of uncertainty, anger, sadness, or disbelief, it took it away in an instant. Sometimes, when he awoke after each conversation, Private wondered if he was being brainwashed.

"You seem to forget so easily, Private. Only moments ago I told you that I have my limits. My knowledge has limits, as well. I don't know how or when its going to happen, but it is going to happen. And when it does happen, six billion human beings are going to be relying on you and friend, Private."

The small bird's breath was taken away. "What do you mean? Do you mean my team and I are going to have to rescue them?"  
>"Yes, you will have to, but not your team. A friend of yours, someone you've been very close to for several years already, will have to make a sacrifice. It is the same sacrifice that we have already discussed. It'll be something he won't want to do."<p>

"Do you meant Kowalski?"

The glowing penguin shrugged. "I'm not sure. Names do not possess meaning here; they are mearly tokens of your world. When those six billion people arrive here, though, you will only have so long to rescue them, before they are wiped from existence forever. You will need to convince your friend why he needs to exchange his life for the lives of those six billion."

Private felt himself grow angry again, clenching his beak. Nearly shouting, he said, "Kowalski hates me now, because of what you told me about him. He doesn't believe a word I say, and he doesn't believe you even exist. He's not going to believe a single word I say, and you expect me to convince him to die to save the lives of all the people on the planet?"

Private found himself marching a little closer to the massive, glowing penguin, wanting to get up in his face. The penguin was unmoving, and merely stared back down at him, its empty white orbs fixed on Private's blue irises. Private tried to remain confident as the Penguin gazed at him, but he found himself growing a little shaky.

The Sun had never retaliated against him for his outbursts, but Private knew it didn't appreciate them. After all, as far as Private knew, he was inside of it. Still, Private found himself required to make the outbursts at times. Most of the time it was out of frustration, but this time it was out of desperation.

"You seem to forget that he is the one that will be making this sacrifice, not you. Your task in this matter is merely to explain the situation to him. You forget these things so easily, Private," the Sun responded after a few moments of silence.

Private tried his best to keep an angry look on his face, but felt it waning. The Sun's words range true; Private's words had been selfish. Still, this wasn't fair. This sudden, massive responsibility, with the lives of everyone on the planet resting on his shoulders, wasn't something he could just take on. The idea was ludicrous at best.

"Why me?" he asked, simply. He knew that the Sun had read his thoughts, but felt the need to express the question anyway.

The celestial penguin sighed, closing his eyes again. "Who else would I ask? You are the only one I've ever seen come and go freely from me. You are the only one that can relay my words to the others."

Private knew the Sun's statement was true. He was the only animal that had ever been brought here. Issac was here too, yes, but he was stuck in suspended animation. "Okay," he agreed, "but what about Kowalski? Why him?"

"That I can't answer so easily. I am not sure of who, Kowalski is, but he must fit what I said earlier. The most important part is that he is close to you, that you trust him with your life and he does the same. I will not be able to tell him what he must do, so that responsibility rests on your shoulders."

"So I'm just a messenger boy, then?" Private growled.

"Essentially."

Private shook his head, still feeling angry. "Any idea of when the people are actually going to get absorbed?" he asked, looking into the massive penguin's pure white orbs.

"Don't you remember that my knowledge has its limits? Times, dates, and names are not relevant where you stand now. They hold no meaning outside of your own world, and do not exist here. It's only clear what is going to happen."

Private nodded slowly, now averting his eyes from the penguin that stood over him. He wasn't sure why he felt so meek all of the sudden, like the Sun was disciplining him for his unnecessary anger. There were a lot of things in this place he didn't understand, though.

The small bird finally found the courage to look back up at the large, prophetical being next to him, but found that he was gone. Private was left alone, standing in the vast openness. He clenched his flippers into fists, angry at the Sun for leaving him standing here, alone. He still didn't know for sure if what it said had been true, and felt a growing want to punch that penguin in the face. How could it leave him with this massive task, and not at least tell him how to start?

After a few moments he felt himself getting pulled away from the space, whipping through the air at ludicrous speeds. It was a sensation he had grown used to, and the whiteness quickly transitioned into impermeable blackness.

* * *

><p>Moments later, he awoke. He wasn't laying in his bunk this time, though. He was laying flat on his back on the floor. His heart was racing and choked his breaths in, like his lungs didn't want to work. It took him a few minutes to realize his chest was pinging with pain. Something had knocked the wind out of him hard.<p>

"Private, what's gotten into you, man?" he heard Skipper say.

He opened his eyes and was surprised to see the leader over to top of him, pinning his flippers to the concrete below him. His face was twisted into a furious scowl as he huffed into Private's face. Private attempted to avert his eyes from his leader's as they burned into his skull, but found it impossible in his current position. Instead, he closed them again.

A stinging pain was shooting through one of his flippers as he relaxed the fist it was curled into. Had he punched Skipper?

"I don't know... I was dreaming up until now," he said, sheepishly.

"Dreaming? Dreaming implies sleeping, soldier. Sleeping penguins don't perform full nelsons on their teammates," Skipper shouted, pushing Private's flippers a little harder into the concrete.

"But, I was... I was with the Sun," Private tried to explain. "I don't know what happened, who did I attack?"

"Me," sputtered Kowalski.


	6. A Test of Brotherhood

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 5 – A Test of Brotherhood<strong>

**KOWALSKI COUGHED, RUBBING HIS THROAT.**

Apparently, Private had only a short while ago wrenched the tall bird's throat in some sort of blind rage. The small bird didn't remember anything of the sort though. The only thing he remembered was that the Sun had told him in his dream. He couldn't believe he had physically attacked his teammate.

Now, he was sitting in one of the penguin's plastic chairs, his flippers tightly bound behind his back. Skipper didn't play around when it came to this kind of situation; the leader wanted to be sure Private wasn't going to attack again. It made Private wonder, his eyes downcast, why Skipper didn't have more faith in him. After all, the flat-headed penguin was the only one who believed anything the Sun had relayed through him.

"So, Private," the leader began, his voice sounding tired. "I'll ask you again. Why did you attack Kowalski?"

"But," he argued, but was cut off by Skipper's flipper sliding across his beak. Private's face already stung from Skipper's repeated slaps, and this one hurt particularly bad.

"No buts!" Skipper shot. "And I don't want to hear about how you were sleeping again. Sleeping penguins _don't_ attack their teammates."

"Skippah," Private pleaded, "I didn't mean to attack Kowalski, I don't even remember it! I would never even think about laying a flipper on him!"

Another slap. Private felt his eyes well up, rapidly blinking to keep his vision clear.

"You know full well what happened, don't play stupid! I do believe that you wouldn't do this on your own accord, though. Something or someone put you up to it." The leader turned to the tall intellectual, who was still rubbing his throat. "Kowalski, analysis."

The bird cleared his throat and lowered his brow in Private's direction. He spoke with a distinct air of intelligence that also showed in his actions and features. He was Skipper's first lieutenant and strategist. Higher ranking than Private was on Skipper's scale, but they were still supposed to be brothers.

"Private's rash actions are probably a direct result of the _tension_ that has been held between us for the past few weeks, Skipper," he explained. Private shivered as he heard a distinct tone of darkness in the tall bird's words.

"_Private snap, whadda k'boom!"_ offered Rico, flapping his flippers wildly around. Rico was a heavyset, nearly mute penguin with a distinct ability to swallow weapons and items. He regurgitated them later when they came in handy. His face was flat, his beak wide and stumpy and his head was garnished with a mohawk of feathers.

"Interesting," wondered Skipper, tapping his beak thoughtfully. "I know you and Kowalski aren't on the best ground right now, Private, but fish and chips, you can't just attack him."

"Skippah, I _don't remember_..." Private's voice trailed off as he was slapped again. It wasn't necessary, the small bird thought. It just made Skipper feel better about what was going on. Punishment.

"Remind me what went down between you two, anyway, Kowalski," requested Skipper.

"Certainly," Kowalski began, before clearing his throat again. "Approximately one month ago, Private approached me with some strange 'prophesy' he heard in his dreams. Something about a penguin an intelligent penguin with whom he trusted his life with, and had some sort of a..." the bird paused, "...tragic past. Private insisted that that penguin was me, and that I immediately begin preparing to sacrifice myself for _something_ important. Of what this 'something' is I am not sure, but I know the idea of giving my life for it is fairly extreme.

"Private continued to pester me about this for weeks, until our fight nearly three weeks ago now. You must remember that, Skipper," Kowalski finished, turning to his leader, his flippers folded behind his back.

"Kowalski, I've found out more that you need to know. About why you need to..."

Skipper slapped the small bird again, and this time it was hard enough for Private's vision to grow blurry. His face was on fire as he felt anger rise inside of him. He tried to control it, knowing retaliating against Skipper wouldn't help anything right now.

"You will speak only when you are spoken to, solider," Skipper commanded. Private scowled; the leader usually didn't enforce that rule. The penguin went back to tapping his beak, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Now, what should we handle this situation."

"Immediate discharge is the standard punishment for assaulting a fellow penguin," Kowalski responded quickly. Private cringed at the idea of it.

"_Skipwah,_" Rico wheezed, "_Forgive Private?_"

Any hope that was raised in the small penguin at the statement was shattered as Skipper said, "No dice. Deliberately attacking a fellow penguin borderline treason, and is _strictly_ punishable by discharge. However, it's late, and I don't want to deal with this right now. We'll leave it at a week's worth of HQ maintenance, and figure out what else to do in the morning."

Kowalski nodded to the leader penguin, then turned to return to his bunk.

"Kowalski, I'm sorry," Private said suddenly.

The bird paused, hesitating to turn back to the small bird tied to the chair. He continued walking though, before pulling himself into his hole in the wall and turning away from the other three entirely. Rico followed quickly in his wake. Private turned to Skipper, who was glaring at him.

"Keep your cool, soldier," he hissed under his breath as he went to untie Private's bounds. "The Sun's playing tricks on you. Just because it's the Sun doesn't mean its telling the truth. And whatever you do, don't you dare attack one of us again."

At that, the rope fell to the concrete floor, and the room was bathed in darkness as Skipper flipped off the lights. Private sat on the chair in silence for a few moments as he pondered everything that had just occurred.

He wondered briefly if he should return to bed, but decided against it as Kowalski shifted slightly in his bunk. The tall bird made him feel very uncomfortable, and he couldn't bare the idea of even laying in a bunk near him.

The bunker began to feel very small as he sat there, the air smelling stagnant. He decided to go for a walk; maybe the fresh air would help clear his mind. He knew Skipper wouldn't mind him leaving for a little while.

* * *

><p>The small bird sulked down the path in front of him, his face focused on the ground. The zoo was deserted at this hour and there was nobody to risk bumping into, so he didn't even pay attention to where he was going. Even if he was looking up, though, he was thinking so much about what had happened he wasn't sure if he'd even use his eyes.<p>

The air felt cool as it brushed through his feathers. The season in New York was just beginning to turn to summer, though the nights were still fairly chilly. The sky above Private was clear and dark, but no stars could be seen against the bright lights of the city. The only thing visible was a sliver of a moon.

Private waddled on through the zoo, his mind processing things as fast as it possibly could. He tried to calm down, but found it nearly impossible as he kept thinking back to what Kowalski had said about being discharged. He didn't think Skipper would go through with it; at least the leader understood the dreams. That wasn't what concerned him, though. Kowalski had almost seemed _happy_ when he said it. Like he thought the team would be better off without Private.

Private wondered who was to blame because of that. Kowalski and himself were equally guilty. They had let the situation get out of hand that day, and now it was hard for them to converse. Private wished he had handled the situation differently; throwing Kowalski test tubes to the ground was not a wise decision.

He had overreacted, yes, but Kowalski had acted like it was the most insulting thing Private could ever do. He had stormed around the bunker after that, holding his remaining chemicals up out of Private's reach. It was ironic, as Private hadn't been reaching for them. The smell of the noxious chemicals that Private had spilled, however, began to cloud the room and they were forced out to the surface to avoid passing out.

That was where things had spilled over. The overreaction and the defensiveness were nothing compared to what happened next. The round bird still didn't know what had gotten into himself that day. He had always been a kind and loving penguin, wanting to avoid confrontation more than anything. He wondered if he still agreed with his old conviction to diplomacy over war. It didn't seem so.

That day, Private had wanted nothing more than to hurt Kowalski.

And he did. Skipper had attempted to initiate some training exercises in order to get their mind off the whole chemical mishap. It worked for a while, until Kowalski chuckled at him for stumbling. It was like he had lost control of his own flippers as he shoved Kowalski into the water when he turned his back.

A lot of shouting followed that moment. After Skipper made them both do HQ maintenance to shut them up, they stopped talking to each other entirely. That only added to the heat shared between the two. Each time Kowalski smirked in his direction after he made a mistake, blew off one of his dreams, or _forgot_ to make Private's bunk on his scheduled maintenance day, the small bird felt a ping of rage travel though him, followed by a dull pain in his scar.

He had meant to ask the Sun about his growing anger problem the last time he was there. Come to think of it, he had entirely forgotten about it when the Sun had brought up Kowalski's supposed destiny. Right about the time he had grown angry...

He wondered if growing angry when he was with the Sun had resulted in him attacking Kowalski while he was still asleep. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to him, but that could have been why the Sun was so eager to keep the calm while he was there. He had never gotten that angry before while visiting the Sun, so it was possible. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was make Kowalski hate him even _more_ when he needed Kowalski to fulfill the Sun's prophesy.

Come to think of it, there wasn't anything to say that that prophesy wasn't complete baloney, or if it wasn't, that it was supposed to involve Kowalski.

_ Someone who you'd trust with your life, someone intelligent and with a past filled with tragedy..._

The Sun's words relayed themselves in Private's head as he kept up with his slow shuffle. There were only three other creatures in the world he would entrust with his life, he was sure of that. Kowalski was the only one of them who fit the other two criteria. After all, Kowalski's past was tragic enough to make Manfredi's life look like a walk in the park.

Private shook his head, trying to get the thought away from himself. Kowalski had shared his experiences with them on more than one occasion, and even now it gave him chills. Manfredi had gone insane after loosing only his fiance and child. Kowalski had lost so much more than that, but he still remained himself. Maybe he was stronger than Manfredi had ever been. Or maybe he was just repressing it all; building it up, releasing it at the small bird...

Private looked up suddenly as he heard some giggling coming from the down the pathway. It sounded familiar, but it must have been one or two in the morning. Who in the world would be up this late?

His question was answered as he saw Julien, the tall lemur king, round a corner. Clutching to his arm was Marlene the Asian otter, looking into his face and giggling happily. The didn't seem to realize Private was there, and jumped as he spoke.

"Hey guys," he greeted, trotting over to the two. He saw Julien clutching a shiny piece of electronics in his paw, with wires leading up to his ears. There two speakers were firmly planted.

"Oh, hey... Private," Marlene said between giggles as Julien began dancing like a robot.

"Harder, better, faster..." Julien sung with the inaudible music as he moved his arms up and down, Marlene releasing her grip in the process. Private couldn't help but smile a bit. Julien was always so blissful and happy, something similar to what Private had been before he was half-assimilated into the Sun. The lemur's white and gray fur ran in stripes up his body, collecting on his tail in an alternating pattern. The lemur's long snout had never fully healed from his confrontation with Sarge, and it was slightly crooked.

The lemur pulled the speakers out of his ears and said, "What is de fishy penguin doing out so late?"  
>"I could ask the same thing to you," chuckled Private as Marlene fell onto her lover again.<p>

"We noticed the popcorn guy left his cart unlocked and went to see if there were any leftovers," explained Marlene.

"There were plenty of leftovers," continued Julien, "but only of de hard, crunchy type. De were not good in de king's tummy, know what I mean?" He nudged Marlene, who smiled.

"Julien, those weren't popped yet. We need to wait for him to make some more tomorrow," cooed the otter. Julien smiled, playing with the music player in his hands.

"Where'd you find that thing?" Private asked, curious about Julien's new toy.

"Oh, dis is de popcorn guy's," answered the lanky lemur. "We, err, borrowed it for de evening."

"We'll return it by morning, don't worry," assured Marlene.

"Maybe not," mumbled Julien. Marlene elbowed him and they both laughed.

Private enjoyed being around the otter and the lemur as much as he could. They took away a lot of his worries as they looked at the world very optimistically; even if it began down pouring all of the sudden, he knew they would just start laughing harder. He wished he could go back to viewing the world in that way, but that trip to Antarctica had changed him.

After talking to Manfredi, the penguin who had lost so much, his eyes had been opened to the world. Manfredi had shown him that the world isn't all fun and games. People die, times change, and darkness rears its ugly head. Marlene and Julien showed another side to the world though. One that could be enjoyed even in times of sadness.

"What are you doing out here," Marlene asked Private. He felt awkward for a second, knowing he couldn't tell them about what had happened in the bunker.

"Just going for a walk," he offered, but Marlene's eyes still flashed with concern.

The brown furred otter had always been there for the penguins. She had joined them on their journey to Antarctica and stuck with them to the end. Even now she visited in with them periodically, checking up to see if they needed anything. She had actually been there the day of Kowalski and Private's big fight, and Private immediately realized she knew what was wrong. Private sometime wished she would just leave him alone, but like Skipper, he realized it was nice to have someone to talk to about it. She didn't know about the dreams like Skipper did, but she still did everything in her power to comfort him.

"Is it Kowalski?" Marlene asked.

Private nodded, and even Julien displayed a look of concern. That was the interesting thing about the pair; the best traits of either of them had rubbed off on the other. Julien got Marlene's overwhelming sense of compassion, and Marlene got Julien's lightheartedness. They complemented each other so well that there was no other reason Alice had given them their own habitat to share.

Marlene glanced up at her mate, who nodded towards her. Then she turned back to Private and asked, "Would you like to stay with us for the rest of the night? Maybe get your mind off of things?"

Private thought back to Kowalski, who was probably still laying in his bunk. He pictured his flippers wrapping around the tall penguin's neck, throttling him in the full nelson he had apparently forced upon the intellectual. He couldn't go back there, at least not tonight. Spending the night with Marlene and Julien was a good idea, maybe he'd actually get some sleep.

Then maybe he could discuss what had happened with the Sun. After all, he had completely forgotten to talk to it about his growing sense of rage. The anger problem was escalating out of control if he had truly attacked Kowalski in his sleep. He needed to discuss it with the Sun. He needed to ask him more about this whole prophesy after all.

For now, he felt like taking it as complete nonsense was the best choice. He had seen the Sun absorb one man, yes, but not the entire planet's population. There was no way that would happen. In his mind, the Sun didn't know what it was talking about. After all, it may very well just be a figment of his imagination. Or maybe Skipper was right, maybe it was _just playing tricks on him_...

"That sound's great," responded Private finally.

Marlene smiled, and the three of them headed to the habitat.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>Alright, that gets _most_ of the conflict sources out in the open. As you can see, this story is going to be several tightly interwoven story arcs all combining into one, just like _The Speed of Darkness_. All characters will be playing big roles, so don't worry.

Also a bit of shameless plugging for my girlfriend-_Melda Sila_. Check out her story _The Featherly Bonds of Brotherhood_ if you have a chance. It's pretty good!


	7. A Binding Contract

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 6 – A Binding Contract<strong>

**ALEXANDER XANTHOPOULOS WAS HIS NAME**.

Anyone who knew him as a friend just called him X, though. Anyone less than that knew him as Mr. X, Officer X, or sir. He didn't put up with being called by his actual name; he hated it. Only a select few elite actually knew what it was. Everyone else was put to believe that he had forgotten the name his mother gave him. Of course that was just a lie he made up; his true name was only for him and the government to know.

The buff man looked at himself in the mirror as he stood there. He was wearing his usual outfit, a blue jacket and a pair of blue dress slacks representing that of what a police officer might wear. His complexion was dark and it complemented well with the dark blue. His head was bald and his wide jaw was complemented with a full beard.

The man clipped on his utility belt as he admired himself in the mirror. The belt held some of the items he thought he would need. A can of pepper spray, an extendable tazor with extra shots, a handgun from his days in the secret service with spare magazines, a few pairs of plastic handcuffs. He was the kind of guy who could never be too safe, and always had his weapons as close to him as possible. The belt also held some breath mints, in case his breath was stinky.

The large man smiled at himself in the mirror. He was massive, that was for sure. He stood nearly seven feet tall and was built like a truck. He knew he could intimidate anyone just by looking at them, even through his dark sunglasses he always wore. Even then, he found it fun to tazor them when they tried to run away. It wasn't that big of a deal, though, as nobody ever tried to mess with him in the first place.

X looked away from the mirror and at his home. It had been given to him by the government upon being kicked out of the secret service, in exchange for keeping his mouth shut about what he had heard and seen. Apparently, they felt putting cameras in the president's personal restroom was a violation of privacy and had kicked him to the curb. He didn't think it was so bad; what if there was an assassin clinging to the ceiling above him, ready to drop a toaster into his bath?

The house was fairly nice of them, though. Also the monthly paychecks he got in the mail. All in exchange for keeping America's deepest secrets safe. The house itself was average sized, made to blend into the average New York suburban neighborhood it had been constructed in. From the outside it would like nothing more to a passerby than any of the other average family homes on the block, but on the inside it was an elaborate fortress.

It wasn't because the government had built it that way, though. X had made some modifications since he agreed to live out the rest of his existence here. Nobody who came into the house for the first time would see it any different than a normal place, though. Nothing was out of position or seemed funny. He had a kitchen, a dining room with a table, a living room with a television and a bedroom. Everything seemed just in place.

That was, until you went under the floorboards. X had spent the last few years constructing a set of tunnels underneath his home, being wise to avoid city sewer and water lines. He dug them by hand and covered the walls in concrete, wiring the place for lighting all on his own. They had said that skill was useless back at the academy, but he had proved them wrong on more than one occasion.

The tunnels housed much more than his little house gave off at first glance. He still had connections to those in the secret service, CIA, and FBI. They got him weapons of all shapes and sizes that he stockpiled in his tunnel system. Bazookas, sub-automatic machine guns, and enough radar equipment to form a small armada. Nobody from the service cared; he had agreed to keep his mouth shut and that was all they needed.

He could have let himself fall into delinquency with the past several years with nearly nothing to do. His stash of weapons and firepower had continued to grow. He didn't know what he would need them for or when, but he knew they would come in handy.

And they did. He had become sort of a mercenary over the years. He was a vigilante for the police when they needed the extra hand, and just as equally an escape driver for a pair of bank robbers. He did whatever the highest bidder wanted him to do, regardless of what implications it had. Again, the service didn't care. Neither did the police, that was why they had gifted him the outfit he wore now. It wasn't official, but it was designed to look like it.

X turned to the television that was on nearby. On the screen was a short man with wispy white hair who was wearing a suit and held a microphone. "A recent increase in animal poaching has been a concern to the EPA and PETA," he said. "According to the EPA these new poachers are targeting penguins in particular since their feathers have become a popular fashion statement, both as pets and as garments, at the beginning of this year. Our sources say that the poachers are even going as far as to travel to Antarctica on their own to hunt down emperor penguins for their feathers. A spokeswoman for PETA said that they are doing everything in their power to limit this activity, including pursuing those involved with it to the fullest extent of the law. She mentioned that a group was sent to Antarctica earlier this week to tag some of the emperors so that they can track those who choose to poach them. More on this story at five.

"Coming up next, scientists believe they have discovered the reason why the Earth stood still for two weeks in the summer of 2007. For now, this is Chuck Charles for Action One News, signing off."

X smashed his massive finger into the power button on the television. He didn't care much about what was going on in the world, because he knew no matter what happened, he would be prepared.

He grunted as he heard the doorbell ring. Sometimes he hated how he did anything the highest bidder wanted. Now, he was about to discuss something to do with _animal control_. The idea upset him, as he felt his talents would be much more effective elsewhere. He did it for the money which, ironically, was money he didn't really need.

Nobody came to visit him, except for the occasional client, so he wasn't accustomed to visitors. In fact, he really didn't like them. He usually met clients at remote locations, but these ones had insisted they meet here. He walked over to the door and wrenched it open.

Who stood on the other side was not what he was expecting to see. Normally his clients were tall men like him with scarred faces and evil dispositions. The two people who stood across from him now did not fit that description at all.

The woman looked middle-aged and had curly red hair. She was wearing khaki pants and a jacket and her hat read _Central Park Zoo_. She spoke in a gruff voice as she said, "Hello, are you, uh, Mr. X?"

"Yeah," X responded curtly, turning to look at the man next to the woman.

He looked like a businessman, stout and orderly. He stood a full foot and a half shorter than X did, and he craned his head up to look into the massive man's face. He pushed his glasses up his nose and continued the conversation. "Hello. We are the ones who called a few days ago about arranging an contract. I'm Andrew Green and this is Alice Smith."

"Pleasure," Alice said, smiling. She offered a handshake but X merely crossed his arms.

"It's all yours," he returned. Alice glanced towards her counterpart awkwardly, who shrugged.

"May we step inside to discuss the matter at hand?" the businessman said.

X stepped out of the way, gesturing the two to enter his home. He glared at the stout business man as he passed. He knew the type; sleazy, cunning, greedy ne'er-do-wells who only cared about their own money. He made a mental note to not let the man get in his head.

"So, uh," Alice said, scratching the back of her head, "about that contract..."

Mr. X smiled. He liked when he intimidated his clients. It meant they wouldn't break the contract when it was formed. "What do you need? Something stolen? Someone protected?" he spoke straightforwardly, making Alice jump.

Andrew cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "It is along the lines of protection, but its not a person we need protected."

X raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the closed front door.

"You must have heard about the recent penguin poaching spree?" Alice continued. X nodded. "Good. You see, I run the Central Park zoo downtown. I've got four penguins there that, quite frankly, I'm afraid for. Its possible that the poachers could sneak into the zoo at night and take them away. That's where you come in."

X scoffed, "I ain't no bird watcher."

Mr. Green pushed his glasses up his nose. "You agreed to help us on the basis that we'd deposit the requested sum of money into your bank account, and we did. You must have received the receipt by now?"

"Yeah," agreed the large man, "but we didn't have no terms when you did. I ain't like these terms, so you can keep your money."

Alice's brow lowered slightly at this and she exclaimed, "What?"  
>X opened the door slightly, and said, "You heard me. Now get out before I tazor both of your asses."<p>

The businessman cleared his throat again. "I assure you these are no ordinary penguins. Your time will be just as valued as highly as any other job."

Officer X laughed. "That's a good one. You know, I just helped stop a bank robbery last week after helping rob the same bank the week before. I ain't got time for protecting penguins."

Mr. Green shook his head defiantly. "If the money isn't enough for you, then maybe we can spice up the deal a bit."

"How?" X asked, enticed. He closed the door again, not wanting any stray words to fall onto eavesdroppers.

"I own and operate Green Security Systems, perhaps you have heard of it?"

The large man nodded. Many of his motion detection cameras and laser trip wires came from that company. They were the most reliable ones he had ever used.

"I know you like to collect various weapons and surveillance equipment, much of it illegal. Therefore I'll give you this offer. We keep your payment at the same rate agreed previously, but I'll throw in any extra components you may want or need for free. Call it a friendly partnership, if you will."

X was still doubtful. "You ain't got anything I don't already have," he shot.

"You have no clue what my engineers are working on. These penguins you'll be watching over are walking proof of that. They are implanted with mobile tracking chips that also allow us to have full video and audio surveillance of everything they see."

The stout man pulled a small monitor out of his coat pocket and passed it to Officer X. The man saw some penguins on the screen walking about their habitat, looking bored.

"It's called the Cyclopes Invisible Eye System, or CIES for short. Wouldn't that be extremely useful for you to have in your arsenal?" the man continued.

X passed the monitor back to the business man and contemplated the offer. A camera that high quality that was small enough to be implanted in a penguin would be incredible to have. There were far too many applications for a piece of technology like that. He knew the corporate man was convincing him of something, and he didn't like that. However he responded, "Alright, I'll birdsit for you."

"Excellent!" Alice said, smiling. "Then we have a lot more to discuss."

X groaned. He hated briefings.


	8. An Irrevocable Proposition

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 7 – An Irrevocable Proposition<strong>

** DMITRI THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD**.

That was his last thought at least, before he fell into unconsciousness after the hunters had invaded the Penguin City and stuck him with one of their sleep-bringing darts. He knew from the others that they were just that, designed to put a penguin to sleep and not kill it. Penguins were worth a lot more money to the humans when they were alive, after all, so he had a little faith behind that statement. He had never actually seen a penguin wake up after receiving a dose of the drug, though, so his fears had still been well placed.

All he knew now was that he sprawled out on a cold ice sheet in the middle of the town hall. It was a large building that had been constructed just off the town square. It was where meetings would be held in the event the weather was too poor to conduct them outside. Now Dmitri laid there, staring at the intricately carved ceiling, his green eyes shimmering. He had never quite been told where the carvings came from, but he was sure it was from the penguins that lived here before the massacre.

For a while Dmitri thought the carvings were dancing, but instead he realized that it was his vision spinning. His entire body felt numb, though, so it didn't make him dizzy or nauseous. It was actually a really odd feeling; not particularly enjoyable, but not something he hated. His entire mind was foggy and he couldn't remember much about what happened before he got stuck with the dart.

He laid there for what seemed like a long time, watching the carvings dance. His breathing was slow and steady, but he felt like he had no control over it. Like it was an automatic impulse, keeping him alive even though the rest of his body felt dead. He was thankful to be alive, that was for sure.

It took him a while before he found the ability to turn his head from side to side. His neck felt numb but he was able to move the muscles ever so awkwardly. He shifted his vision to his left where he saw a strange penguin sitting in an ice chair, sleeping. It had a solid black beak and feathers darker than his own—definitely not an emperor. Dmitri grew slightly concerned, as he had never seen another penguin that wasn't an emperor before, but knew it wasn't a huge threat if it was sleeping.

He turned his head to the other side and saw a different penguin sleeping in a chair there. This one he recognized. It was Irena Swiftfeathers, the chieftain's daughter. He had always noticed her from afar, and they had conversed a few times, but he never really got a chance to know her. Dmitri thought of her father and the entire event came flooding back to him.

Instantly the vision of Banar telling him to flee, his mother's cold body being dragged away, and his helpless fight with the hunters flashed before his eyes. The sudden realization that he may never see his mother again was too much for him to take and he was stricken with grief. He hated the hunters, and he would give anything to catch them so he could rescue the others. Though his body was numb, he felt it begin to quiver.

He felt his flippers and legs tense up and he began to shake violently. He thought it was just because he was angry at first, so he tried to calm down. It had no effect, though, his body convulsing harder and harder, and now it was starting to hurt. Each muscle in his frame was straining itself to the point where he thought his bones were going to break.

"Woah, woah, easy does it," came a calm voice from the direction of the black-beaked penguin. "You need to stay calm for the antidote to do anything useful."

Dmitri turned his head back to the penguin and saw him jabbing him with a needle. He didn't feel the pinch, but became scared that it was more of the horrible sleep-bringing drug, and began to quiver harder. The penguin, which Dmitri now saw had solid red eyes, clasped his flippers around Dmitri's shoulders to stop him from shaking right off the ice slab.

"Irena, quick," he shouted, "hold him down while I get another dose."

Dmitri felt soft flippers work their way around his body and his own flippers as the female emperor appeared over him. She looked genuinely worried, and also a little sick. Dmitri tried to gain control of his limbs, but it was no use. His flipper jerked up and slapped the penguin across the body. She flinched, but still held him down strong.

Then it stopped. Almost instantly, Dmitri's seizure faded away and he was calm again. He dared not look down at his body, though, as he knew the black-beaked penguin was injecting him with more drug. Instead he looked up at the penguin above him who was looking down into his eyes with deep concern. They were a deep gray, just like Banar and most of the emperors. She blinked at him as she released her grip and rubbed the spot where Dmitri had slapped.

"Whew," said the black-beaked penguin, "that was a close one. You need to remain calm, at least for the next few hours while the tranquilizer works it way out of your system."

Dmitri tried to open his mouth to ask questions about what was going on, but only felt his lower jaw loll around and some drool travel down his feathers. Irena chuckled quietly and wiped his face with her flipper.

"We're not going to be able to understand that babbling," the black-beaked penguin said, and Dmitri became aware of the noises he had just been making. "Its best for you just to keep relaxing until the etorphine wears off enough for you to move."

"He'll be okay now, right, Edgar?" Irena asked. Her voice was sweet and soft, and Dmitri was instantly reminded of his mother. He tried his best to ignore the thought, as he didn't want the fear to force him into another seizure.

"Yeah, there should be no problem now," Edgar said, then looked at Dmitri. "You're very lucky I showed up, you know that? Etorphine is the strongest immobilon I've ever encountered, and you were just injected with enough to bring down a three ton elephant. Good for you that I stole some diprenorphine from the research boat I rode here, as that's the only thing that can reverse its effects. In other words, if I would have shown up fifteen minutes later, you would have been toast."

"The question is," announced Irena, "how in the world did those hunters get their hands on that stuff? I mean, you said its not easy to find, right?"

"It can easily kill a human being, so yeah, it's rare. These hunters of yours are pretty serious to be packing that stuff," explained Edgar.

Irena's face flashed over with what looked like fear. "You're sure he'll be okay, then... right?"

Edgar sighed. "Yes, Irena. Thank you for helping me out with all of this, by the way."

"Thank me?" Irena said as though it was an insult, "Thank you! Dmitri is my neighbor and friend, of course I was going to help him. You were just passing through and you saved his life!"

Edgar smiled, "I don't like to see good lives go to waste."

"Me neither," Irena returned and looked down to Dmitri. The penguin wished he could say something back, something along the lines of thank you, but again his beak just lolled open. Irena chuckled again and cleaned his face with her flipper.

He liked that; it reminded him of when his mother would smooth his unruly feathers.

"So how did you get here, Edgar? You never really told," she said when Dmitri was situated and she had taken her seat.

The penguin had also taken his chair across from Irena on the opposite side of Dmitri's table. Dmitri found it difficult to turn his head fast enough to look at both of them, so instead he just stared at Irena. She didn't seem to mind, and it occurred to Dmitri suddenly that she was the only penguin besides Edgar and himself in the room. Had the others even come to offer help or check in on him? They must have.

"Well like I said, I rode in on a research vessel that was headed here. I hid in the storage compartment, where I found the diprenorphine, and they were none the wiser," explained the mysterious red-eyed penguin.

"Why did you come, though? You look like you're not from around here. You must have had a reason for coming," continued the female emperor.

"I've got my reasons. A little bit of research and a little bit of exploring if you catch my drift. You may actually be able to help me with the exploring part, if you want to pay me back for saving your friend or something like that."

The statement made Dmitri a little wary. When had Irena said anything about paying the penguin doctor back for saving his life? Irena took his worry away instantly however as she said, "Of course, anything."

"I'm looking for a temple somewhere near the magnetic south pole. Its a building that looks big, dark and foreboding. Something with big tall spires and a giant set of doors that have three pillars outside of them."

Irena's eyes went wide. "_That_ place? My father showed me that place when I was just a chick, and then told me to never go there. He said it was just a huge trap placed there to lure unsuspecting emperors to their dooms."

Dmitri had no clue what they were talking about, but he didn't like the sound of it. He had heard rumors around town about some sort of an ancient temple a few miles outside of the city, but they were nothing more than just rumors. Melanda had never let him leave the city as a chick, so he had no reason to believe they were true. Irena seemed to know what he was referencing to, however, and he trusted her.

"Ah good, so we are on the same page here. I've heard all about those rumors as well, but don't worry, it's not what they say it is. I've been there once before, and its pretty much just a big empty building. I'd be able to find it again, but my charts got blown into the sea on the way down here," continued Edgar.

"Wait, if it's just a big empty building, why do you want to go there?" Irena asked.

Edgar shifted in his seat, like he was leaning closer to the female. "There's something of unimaginable power there, something that I'd like to study. An ancient artifact, probably as old as the temple itself. I have used it once before to generate electricity, but I have recently come to learn that it is capable of far much more. So much, in fact, that I want to study it to see what it exactly its limits are."

Irena's eyes went wide. "I have no clue what you're talking about, electricity and whatnot. If you want to go there, though, I'll take you to repay you for saving Dmitri's life."

The immobilized penguin wondered why Irena was so concerned with him. If Edgar had saved his life, wouldn't he be in debt to the penguin doctor? Irena shouldn't have to repay him for anything. In fact, Edgar owed her as much as he did Edgar, from what he could understand. The reason behind her actions confused him greatly, but he was thankful for them. He'd have no idea where to take Edgar to find this temple.

"Great," said Edgar. "We'll go as soon as this one is up and walking again, so we know he's stable. There is another thing I'll need from you when we get there, though."

"What's that?" Irena asked.

"There's an old riddle associated with opening the door to that temple. 'When three become one, the path to enlightenment will open and the sun will rise again.' Basically, there are three pillars outside the door to the temple. They need to be rotated in just the right way at the right time so that they all deflect the sun onto the door. It's impossible to do it alone."

"So you just need me to help you open the door?" Irena asked.

"We'll need Dmitri's help, too," added Edgar. "You need three individuals to get in."

"You'll help us, won't you Dmitri."

Dmitri felt some warmth from the feeling of his own flesh in feathers flooding back. He wasn't so sure he wanted to go on this journey. He'd much rather go hunt for the hunters that had taken his mother and fellow penguins, but after Edgar and Irena had basically saved his life. He felt like he didn't have a choice.

He thought of his mother again momentarily. He must have been out for a long time, long enough for the hunters to get too far away for him to give chase. Not like it would do any good, though, as they would probably just shoot him with more tranquilizer. As the thought of never seeing his mother came into his head, a tear forced its way out of his eye.

Irena noticed this tear, and she wiped it away. Dmitri wondered why she wasn't crying as well, as she had just lost her father. He figured she had mourned for her loss already, while he was still sleeping. Somehow she had found the will to help him recover, though, even through her grief. She wasn't really a penguin he knew well, after all, she was the chieftain's daughter. Dmitri attempted to silence his thoughts for now, all of these conflicting emotions were making him sick.

He nodded his head vigorously, and something not unlike a lion seal call came out of his beak. He felt embarrassed for a moment, until Irena laughed and wiped his drool away for the third time.

Her laugh was heartwarming, even with the massive cold that was setting in on Dmitri. Cold he had not felt in a long time...

"Wonderful," Edgar announced. "You don't have to go in with me. Just get me inside and we'll be even."

"Sounds like a plan," Irena said.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>**~Author's Note:** I felt like you readers deserved a little information on the specific ages of the penguins in this series, so I'm going to post a journal on my deviantArt account related to it.

Check it out if you'd like. Just search up "cudabear" (my dA name) and you'll find it.


	9. A Brutal Apology

**The Power of Silence**

**Chapter 8 – A Brutal Apology**

**PRIVATE SAT UP AND SCRATCHED HIS HEAD**.

It was dark and cool inside of Marlene's habitat. The inside of her home, which was a cave designed to look like a drainage pipe leading to the outside was spacious and well furnished. Marlene had spent her time collecting many odds and ends items from around the zoo, as did the penguins, and she had amassed quite an assortment of various necessities.

Now that Julien had moved in with her, though, the volume of things increased tenfold. The lemur's boombox could be seen laying on the ground next to Marlene's art easel, which had a half-finished portrait of the otter and the lemur on it. Julien's favorite smoothie blender was set up on the nearby table, a pair of Marlene's clam crackers sloppily thrown inside of it. It really was kind of cute how Alice had let them share this habitat, turning it from the otter exhibit into the small mammal exhibit in order to appease the guests.

The penguin rubbed his eyes. The only light coming into the space was from the opening down the drainage pipe exit. It was more than enough for the small penguin to know that he should be headed back to his own habitat for morning training with Skipper and the others. He glanced towards Julien and Marlene, curled up on their bed. Julien was still clutching the digital music player in his paw, and it had a low battery symbol flashing on it.

Private smiled and quietly folded the blanket they had given him to use and set it on his pillow. He wasn't sure exactly when they had gotten to bed, but Julien had been dancing to his music for some time, making Marlene and Private laugh. When they weren't laughing, they were talking about Kowalski. Marlene was a good friend, Private thought. She told him the best thing to do would be to apologize to Kowalski and try to make amends so they could be friends again. It was a reasonable path, he thought.

He walked out into the sunshine and took a deep breath of the warm air. The sun warmed his feathers and he stretched his flippers over his head. Regardless of what had happened the night before, starting with the Sun's prophesy, he knew today would be much better. He'd make up to Kowalski for supposedly attacking him in his sleep, and then everything would be back to normal.

At least he hoped it would. He pushed the thought of telling Kowalski about what the Sun had told him in his prophesy to the back of his mind—the Sun was just playing a trick on him, right? What it told him wasn't true. There's no way all the humans on the planet could get assimilated into it at one time.

He looked up at the blue sky, wondering how he would apologize to Kowalski. Offer to take his maintenance and reconnaissance duty for a month in addition to serving his aforementioned punishment? That sounded pretty good to him.

As soon as his plan had been formulated, though, it was shattered. A small boy called out from the top of his father's shoulders, "What's a penguin doing in the mammal exhibit, daddy?"

Private froze immediately. He hadn't noticed the several confused zoo-goers looking over the top of the tall brick wall down at him. Getting caught out of his own habitat was putting the penguins' cover directly in the line of fire! Not to mention Marlene and Julien, too. Alice, the head zookeeper, would even have to hear about it.

He dove back into the drainage pipe, hiding behind a corner. His heart was racing as his brain attempted to formulate a plan. He didn't realize just how long he had slept. It was well passed open and the zoo was full of guests. The warm air and position of the sun had shown him that it was somewhere around midday. Dammit, how long had he been asleep?

Thinking quickly, he tiptoed over to the sewer entrance that Marlene kept hidden underneath a throw rug. He could slip into the sewers, and though it would be a longer route, he could pop back up just outside the Penguin's habitat.

He had forgotten that Rico had welded Marlene's sewer grate shut after Sarge popped up in her habitat those six months ago. He tried to pry it open with his flippers, but Rico had done a good job of welding a manhole cover right over the top of it. There was no way he was getting down there, which meant that the only way to the Penguin habitat was a direct shot through the zoo.

Around midday, it was going to be packed full of guests. Guests that would love to report about a strange penguin jumping around from bench to bench outside of its habitat. Perhaps staying here would be the best choice for now. He could return to the penguins' ice floe after the zoo closed.

For a moment he thought he'd take that route, but then heard Kowalski's words replay in his head.

_ Immediate discharge is the standard punishment..._

He was already in big trouble for attacking Kowalski. By missing morning training he was digging his own grave, and with each passing moment that grave was growing deeper. He had no choice; he had to risk it. He had to get back to HQ before much longer.

He looked uneasily out of the drainage pipe, where he heard some commotion from the zoo guests. They were surely wondering if he was going to make an appearance again or not. He couldn't go flip over the wall right now, as the people would see him for sure. If he could just get out of Marlene's habitat, he knew he could get back to HQ undetected. After all, the four penguins had made their way through the zoo during open hours before, and Private knew which benches were best to hide under, which trashcans never got checked behind.

He needed some sort of a distraction, something to make the people look away for just a few seconds so he could vault over the brick wall. He peered out of the entrance and was relieved to see a familiar curly-haired redhead trying to get all of the guests' attention.

"What's that, a penguin in the otter exhibit?" she said, obnoxiously loudly. It was working though, and people were no longer paying attention to the drainage pipe. "There's no penguins in the otter exhibit, but if you want to see them, they're all the way over there... on the far side of the zoo."

Private was thankful. Ever since the day in the antechamber, Alice always seemed to show up right when they needed her. He didn't waste the moment and sprinted into the opening outside of the home. He vaulted between the brick wall and the rock he and the others had used to hop out of Marlene's habitat many times before. Before he knew it, he was soaring through the air over the wall, ready to roll when he hit the ground on the other side.

It wasn't the ground he hit, though. He crash landed into a small boy, sending them both to the ground rolling. The boy screamed in agony as he scraped his knee. Private was stunned himself, but tried to hop up as quickly as he could. He felt himself being lifted off the ground as several surprised gasps came from the crowd.

"Oh, look at that, it's a penguin," Alice said awkwardly, holding Private up for all of the people to see. "Whadd'ya know, he got out. I'm, uh, going to put him back now..."

Alice smiled awkwardly to the crowd before spinning around and hustling away from them. Alice jerked Private up to her face as she booked to get him back to the penguin exhibit and growled, "Do you know how much trouble you just caused me? That kid's mom is totally going to sue me now. Not to mention they're probably going to make me pay to have all the habitats inspected for faulty gates."

Private tried to look as innocently as possible, but his heart sank as Alice just glared back at him. "What am I talking about, you probably can't even understand me," she dismissed.

Private nodded vigorously, but Alice didn't notice. Before he knew what happened next, she set him down on the fake ice floe, and even though it went a lot less smoothly than he had wanted, he was relieved to have made it back.

Relief, like both the good feeling about the day and the quick escape plan earlier, was whisked away in an instant. Standing on the other side of the ice floe from him was Skipper, and his beak was twisted in to the most profound scowl Private had ever seen. The leader glared at Private with a heated stare that made Private instantly become fearful.

"Uh, hi... Skippah," Private stuttered.

Skipper didn't respond in any other way than sharply pointing his flipper towards the fishbowl entrance to the HQ. Private sulked over to it and pushed it open, sliding down. He knew what was about to come, but then again, he had known what was going to come since he had woken up from his dream the night before. However, now he had made that something ten times worse. Skipper followed closely behind him, closing the fishbowl.

Kowalski and Rico were already waiting in the main space. Kowalski was standing near the porthole window, his flippers crossed and his brow arched. Rico was sitting in the corner, but he hopped up immediately when he saw Private. Private couldn't help but cringe when he saw the worried, scared look on the maniacal bird's face.

Skipper paced up and down for a while, letting a silence befall the group. Private felt his anxiety grow each time the penguin turned around to glance at him, wondering what was going to happen. There was only one conclusion he could make. He was going to be discharged. Though he tried not to think about it, he knew it was true. There was no option, he had screwed up too greatly.

Skipper began speaking, but it wasn't the sharp yell that Private was expecting. Instead, it was the a calm, almost tired drawl that Private didn't hear from the flat-headed bird often. "Private," he began, "what in the seven seas is wrong with you?"

Private clasped his flippers over his beak as the flooding fear returned to him. His face began to burn where Skipper had slapped him so many times the night before. He didn't want to speak out of turn to risk getting slapped again.

It was obvious that Skipper wasn't expecting a response anyway as he continued. "First you directly assault Kowalski, and then you openly leave home base when you're on lock down? Not to mention missing morning training and pretty much _blowing_ our entire operation."

"I was on lock down?" asked Private. "I didn't know that."

Skipper stopped pacing and glared at the bird. "You were tied to that chair for a reason, soldier."

"But you untied me..."

"Yes. I thought you could handle yourself. When I heard you leave, I thought you were just going to sit up top for a while like normal. Where did you go, anyway?"  
>"I went for a walk, and then I bumped into Marlene and Julien. They offered to let me stay with them for the night, so I did. I guess I overslept a bit," explained Private.<p>

"_A bit_?" Skipper hissed. "It's thirteen hundred hours, Private. Morning training is at six hundred hours sharp every morning, you know that."

"I'm sorry, Skippah," Private offered, feeling his leaders gaze continue to burn into his skull.

"I don't even know what to do about all of this. Any ideas, Kowalski?"

Kowalski shifted in his place, folding his flippers behind his back. "Based on Private's actions last night, the events of this morning hold don't hold much significance. He should be discharged immediately for assaulting me."

"Hmm," pondered the flat-headed penguin, tapping his beak.

Private wanted to argue against Kowalski's opinion, but he found the words getting caught in his throat. Skipper hated when his men interrupted him. Fortunately, Rico interjected some words for him.

"_Private don't mean it,_" he blabbered, "_He's sorry, whaddah forgive?_" Private was fortunate the weapons expert was on his side.

Skipper continued tapping his beak, looking at none of the birds in particular. "You've never missed training before, Private," he said, "so I'll let that one slide. I think you learned your lesson from the event with Alice anyway."

Private sighed in relief quietly.

"Now however," the blue-eyed penguin continued, "we're just back to square one. What to do about your outright insubordination towards Kowalski."

"_Whaddah forgive_!" insisted Rico, flailing his flippers.

Skipper glanced towards him, seeming to take the large bird's words into consideration. Kowalski on the other hand seemed to lower his eyes at the large bird, almost giving him some sort of glare. The look sent shivers though Private—Kowalski was quietly disagreeing.

"If you insist that you were sleeping, tell me what went on in the dream," Skipper requested.

Without even holding his breath, Private exasperated everything from what the Sun had said as fast as he could. Everything from the proposed Armageddon, to Kowalski's sacrifice, to his unreal anger while inside the Sun. All the while Kowalski made small grunts like he was blowing off everything the small bird was saying, but Skipper seemed to be more accepting of them.

"So you're telling me the Sun told you all the people on the planet are about to be absorbed like that crazy pirate was?" Skipper asked when Private had finished.

"Exactly," answered the small bird. "And Kowalski's the only one who can save them after it happens."

Private glanced up at Kowalski only to feel his angry gaze burn into his own. Kowalski didn't buy any of it, that was for sure. Private returned to Skipper, waiting for his directive on what to do.

"In any other situation, Private," Skipper said, finally, "I'd kick you out of this operation in a heartbeat if you attacked one of my men. I can see that 'the Sun' is obviously playing some sort of tricks on you, however, so in light of that I want you to continue to stay at Marlene and Julien's place overnight until you can get your dreams under control. Just make sure you don't oversleep again."

Private couldn't help but feel like Skipper was doing this for his sake, saving his feathers. The leader made the conclusion because he cared for his younger counterpart, and he didn't want to just kick him out onto the street. He got the sense that Skipper was completely blowing off the Sun's prophesy, however. He didn't believe it was true, and frankly, neither did Private at this point in time.

Kowalski cleared his throat suddenly. "Skipper, if I may bring it to your attention, Private should not be allowed off the hook so easily."

Skipper glanced at him, with a look that only said, "Shut up, Kowalski."

"Right, sir," Kowalski responded.

Private felt a wave of relief roll over him. Even with everything that happened in the last few hours, Skipper still believed in him. He wasn't favoring Kowalski at all, and in fact, Private realized now that Skipper thought Kowalski's actions were as stupid as Private's. Skipper just wanted them to stop fighting, Private thought.

"You're still going to have to do maintenance duty for the next week," Skipper told Private.

Private nodded happily, saluting his leader. "Consider it done, Skippah."

"Good. And I don't want to hear anything more between you two until you can get this whole situation under the bridge. My men shouldn't be bickering between each other when there's more important things to do," Skipper concluded.

Private wasted no time to make things right as Kowalski turned away from him. "Kowalski, I'm really sorry," he said, wholeheartedly. "For everything. If it makes any difference, I'll take care of your duties for the next month so you can focus more on your experiments." Kowalski turned to Private and the small bird shivered as he glared at him. "I mean, if you'd like that."

Kowalski just looked at him for a moment, his face not showing much expression other than his slightly narrowed eyes. When he finally spoke, Private jumped. "You have said things to me about Doris and the ones I lost at the facility with irrevocable consequences, Private. I will never forgive you for saying those things. However, you're more than welcome to take over my duties if that is what you feel you need to do."

Private felt hollow as the bird walked away from him. He did remember the things he had said, and he had regretted them mere moments after they slipped out of his beak. He had been so mad, so clouded by rage, that he hadn't realized just how powerful of an impact they'd have on Kowalski. It had been the day Private pushed Kowalski into the water during their morning training session.

* * *

><p><em>"You're the one the Sun was talking about, really," insisted Private to Kowalski as they faced off, ready to spar.<em>

_ "Nonsense. Even if it did exist, it could be talking about anyone. Maybe not even a bird," the scientist countered._

_ "What?" exclaimed Private, feeling his muscles tense, "It said someone I trust with my life and someone who has a tragic past." _

_ Kowalski's eyes flashed over with what looked like annoyance. "My past is none of its concern. Its matters to me and me alone. You're lucky enough I even trusted you enough to share it with you, Private." _

_The small bird shook slightly in his place. "'Trusted'? Suddenly you don't trust me anymore?"_

_"Everything that is going on with the Sun is unique to your own head, and honestly, it is hard to believe much of anything from you anymore."_

_ Private clenched his beak. "You know what? I don't believe what you said about your past. Doris was probably some girl who just turned you down on a date, wasn't she? And look at you with your 'ooh, look at poor old me, I lost all of my friends. Feel sorry for me!' You know what? Nobody bloody cares!"_ _he mocked._

_ Kowalski turned away from the small bird immediately, but Private could see his body quivering. His voice quavered like he was on the brink of tears as he said, "You have no idea what you're talking about."_

* * *

><p>That was when Private charged, knocking Kowalski into the water and destroying the bond they had shared for the last two years. He felt like he would do anything to go back in time and stop himself from saying those hurtful things. It was true that Kowalski had experienced great tragedy in his past, and Private had brought those feelings back to life for him by denying their truth. Private realized that now, but why couldn't he have realized it when he said it?<p>

He had just been so mad, so angry with the tall bird that he wanted nothing more to hurt him. That was something that he needed to control... something that Private now realized he couldn't do on his own. Who could he confide in? Skipper, Rico, Marlene? They'd all help him, sure. Maybe Marlene more than his teammates, but he felt his growing anger problem was a direct result of something higher.

Something along the lines of the Sun. He felt himself grow angry at his first thought of the massive, glowing bird. If it never would have told him anything about Kowalski or the mass assimilation or gotten him so heated in the first place, none of this stuff would be happening anyway.

Private was taking its prophesy as complete lunacy at this point. There was going to be no mass assimilation, the Sun was just crazy or figment of his waning sanity. Something that he needed to get under control quickly, or risk falling in to the same hole as Manfredi had.

There was no doubt about it though, he had a lot of work to do to repair what Kowalski and him had once shared. Maybe Kowalski was right and it couldn't be fixed, maybe Private had wedged a wall between them that could never crumble. He knew he was going to damn well try to knock it down.

Private exchanged an awkward glance with Rico who was the only other bird left in the room. The scarred penguin shrugged, and Private found himself smiling a bit.

Maybe Rico could help him get Kowalski to forgive him.


	10. An Invidious Reunion

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 9 – An Invidious Reunion<strong>

** OFFICER X GROANED.**

Alice held the door open to the storage shed, beckoning him to go inside. She had spent the last hour leading him around the zoo, showing him where everything was. He had been introduced to nearly every animal and Alice had shown him the entry points to each habitat. He didn't need any entrances, though. He'd blow the walls down if he needed to.

He tried to look interested as he walked into the shed, though. He was doing this for the CIES from Andrew Green, and nothing more. Not for any dumb animals or idiotic red-haired zookeeper. Besides, who would actually want to invade a zoo for the sake of killing its penguins?

"Over here you have all the non-perishable food," Alice told him, gesturing to a tall stack of crates. "I don't think you'll ever need to feed the animals, but be sure to keep a close eye on it. We get a shipment every morning and I don't trust that truck driver."

"Alright," offered the large man, crossing his arms.

"We've also got some zoo golf carts for getting around in here and all of the cleaning supplies if you ever find use for them. The golf carts of course, not the cleaning supplies," smiled Alice.

X smiled back. At least the broad had a sense of humor.

"Any questions so far?" Alice asked.

The man shook his head, his arms still crossed then asked, "When do I set up my equipment?"

"Whenever the heck you want to, really. The guests won't mind you putting up a few cameras or microphones or something if you want to set up during zoo hours," Alice explained. "I've already fired those two idiots who used to guard this place at night, so you'll be alone after hours if that's when you prefer. All they did was sleep, anyway."

X nodded. He liked the idea of setting up his gear when nobody was around. Then nobody could see exactly what he was setting up. He didn't like the idea of those guards getting fired for sleeping, though. That was actually exactly what he had been planning to do. Alice's perception of cameras and microphones was a mere figment of what he was planning to do with the zoo so that he could get away with that.

"Excellent. So you can start tomorrow night?" Alice questioned.

X nodded again, preferring not to waste his voice on the small woman.

"Oh, one more thing," Alice announced. "I suppose you should meet the actual birds that you are going to be watching over. That would probably be useful."

With that the redhead gestured him to leave the storage shed, which she promptly locked. She handed him a spare key to it before they set off to the center of the zoo where the penguin habitat was.

X was only dreading laying his eyes on the apparently poor, defenseless birds that he was being paid to protect. Hell, he had been paid less in past endeavors to protect key government officials from being assassinated. Now, he was going to be protecting penguins. Flightless birds. The idea made him cringe, but then he remembered the surveillance technology he'd have access to do. It was worth it. At least he tried to convince himself so.

"Now I should warn you, my penguins aren't your typical, run of the mill penguins that you'd see anywhere. They're pretty special, hence is why you are protecting them," Alice explained as they walked.

The man raised a brow at the woman, but she didn't notice.

"Sometimes they like to leave their habitat at night, but don't worry about that," the zookeeper continued. She glanced back at Officer X, and then said, "don't worry, it's completely normal."

"Normal for them to leave?" X responded.

"Yeah. They like to get out and explore. Talk to the other animals, help out where they can, that kind of thing," Alice explained. X at this point had thought the woman was entirely insane. She continued, "so don't worry about them exploring the zoo too much. Sometimes the other animals explore a bit, but its typically only the small ones, and usually they stay in their habitats anyway. The penguins don't like to stay cooped up all night, though."

"Sounds like you should be talking to animal control. Not me," X complained.

Alice glanced up at him, putting her hands on her hips. "I could keep them cooped up if I wanted to. I let them run around at night."

Officer X muffled a sudden urge to laugh. This was the battiest woman he had ever had the misfortune of working with.

"So just let them do their thing and they'll let you do yours. Oh, but make sure they don't leave the zoo. The sometimes like to do that, but with all the poachers around I don't want to risk it. The Penguins might have some problems with that, and they might try to escape. Just keep them in here as best as you can. Don't worry if they get out, either, because they always come back by morning."

Officer X chuckled, "Don't worry. Your birds ain't goin' nowhere while I'm here."

X actually had a lot more planned than just keeping them inside the zoo. Honestly the idea of birds running around the zoo crazily greatly bothered him. If he was going to get some naps while he was working nights here, it would be a lot easier if the beasts stayed in their cages. He already had a lot planned for the other animals' habitats, and knew he could devise something for the penguins.

"So here we are," said Alice as they approached a small enclosure. "These guys are usually my biggest attraction. That's why they're in the center of the zoo. Lately they've been a little boring, but usually they will dance and perform for the guests. Kinda cute, really."

X leaned forward on the flimsy railing. The place didn't look too special, just a fake concrete block set in an oval pool. On top were three penguins, waddling about and doing dumb penguin things. He glanced over the tops of all of them. The flat-headed glared at him, the short round one with a scar looked up at him curiously, the buff one with a mohawk lolled its tongue out of the side of its mouth.

"Dumb birds," he mumbled.

"What?" Alice asked.

"Nothing," X dismissed, "So you mentioned they get out at night. No way they could get over this fence. How do they go about it?"

"Actually they can, and have, flipped over this fence before. Besides that I think they tunneled through to our maintenance tunnels underground, but I haven't found the passage yet. The inside of their ice floe is hollow and that's where they sleep. If the passage is anywhere, it should start there." Alice pointed out one more penguin who was making its way up a ladder that had appeared from beneath the fishbowl. "There's the last one, coming up from inside."

X glanced towards the penguin, blowing it off. The other three birds were still looking up at him, their dumb little faces screwed up like they were actually concerned with who he was. They were probably just thinking he had brought some fish, he thought. That's all bird were good for, anyway. Eating. Eating and pooping.

He ran his eyes over the penguins once again from behind his sunglasses, noting each one mentally so he could refer to them later. It wasn't until he locked eyes with the fourth, newest one that he felt a sudden feeling of nostalgia hit him.

The bird had just emerged from the top, and had slid the fishbowl trapdoor back over the top of the ladder. It stood up tall, easily the tallest of the quartet. It clutched a clipboard in its flipper, which it quickly tried to hide behind his back upon seeing the massive man. X didn't even regard the action and didn't even care that it was holding a clipboard. What interested him was how the penguin's face became washed as soon as soon as their eyes met. It froze in place, like it was locked in fear.

For that moment, X found himself also locked. It wasn't from fear though, and the man couldn't quite understand the feeling behind his actions. He knew one thing, and that was that he had seen that bird before. Where, when and how he had no idea. Before he had any more time to analyze the penguin's looks, though, it bolted back into the ice floe, slamming the trapdoor shut behind it.

It was just a penguin—maybe one he had seen it from one of the brochures of the zoo Alice had shown him at their earlier meeting, but for some reason he felt there was greater significance behind the bird. Like it had been around at a much more important point in his life than just standing in front of a camera for a brochure.

"...so he's kind of funny like that," Alice finished, even though X hadn't been listening."

"What?"

"That tall one. He's the funniest one of the group, and kind of a loner sometimes. He doesn't spend much time with the others anymore, especially the round one. He tends to avoid that one all together."

"Heh," chuckled X, shaking his head. "So there's a little penguin drama? Ain't got time for penguin drama."

Alice narrowed her eyes at the man, looking up at him even though he was almost two feet taller than her. "For your information, bub, these penguins have had a lot of drama in the past year. Drama that I don't even want to get involved in," she said.

"Sure, sure," dismissed X, trying to get the grouchy zookeeper off of his back.

Alice shrugged and then said, "kind of a funny thing, isn't it? Penguin drama. Its like the worries of the world aren't exclusive to us people."

X glanced at the woman like she was crazy.

"What, just thinking out loud here. Anyway, when do you think you can start installing your equipment?" she asked.

Officer X looked back over the birds, who were now filling down into the ice floe after their counterpart. It was a silly sight, penguins waddling down a trapdoor ladder. He already didn't like them; the acted too suspiciously. And that tall one he especially didn't like. It reminded him of something. He didn't like to be reminded of the past; it only distracted him from the present.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning," he offered, and Alice smiled.

"So will you work your first night tomorrow night?" she asked.

"Sure," he returned.

He already had many plans to alter the habitats so the animals couldn't leave while he was around, so that wouldn't be a problem. He was concerned about the penguin's secret passage, but he was sure he'd be able to find it after they used it a few times. After all, Andrew had gifted him with one of the penguin monitors, so he'd be able to know where at least one of them was at all times. Suddenly he became aware that this contract was more about containing the animals than protecting them.

The man cracked his knuckles as he walked out of the zoo. He'd have a lot of digging to do tonight. He was going to need some stuff that he hadn't used in a long time.

* * *

><p>Private hopped off the lowest rung of the ladder, being the last to follow Kowalski after he stormed back into the HQ. The bird's clipboard was laying on the ground, and Private picked it up. Drawn on the top page was mostly what looked like squiggles, but Private could make out some small doodles of a dolphin.<p>

"Kowalski," Skipper's voice cut in. "Kowalski, what's wrong, man?"  
>Kowalski was sitting in one of the chairs, his head down in his flippers. He was visibly quivering as Rico patted him on the back, but Private couldn't tell if he was crying or was just angry.<p>

"Kowalski," Skipper called again, more forceful this time, "What's the matter?"  
>The scientist didn't respond again, and Skipper's short fuse had burned out. The leader penguin wrenched the tall bird's head up and stared him dead in the face.<p>

Kowalski looked like he was choking back tears as he said, "That man. He killed Doris."


	11. A Recollection of Tragedy

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 10 – A Recollection of Tragedy<strong>

**PRIVATE, SKIPPER, AND RICO EXCHANGED GLANCES.**

It was like none of them actually wanted to respond to Kowalski's statement. It was so sudden, so unexpected, that even Skipper seemed to have found is voice getting caught in his throat. Kowalski, meanwhile, had placed his head back down in his flippers. He wasn't crying, but it looked like he was having a hard time holding the tears back.

Kowalski had shared what had happened to Doris a long time ago, only a few months after the penguins had assembled in the zoo for the first time. Unlike Skipper, who had held his knowledge of the Sun and Sarge from the other three for over a year, Kowalski openly spilled where he had come from and what happened while he was there. Private got the distinct feeling that something much bigger had happened, than he originally described, though.

The dolphin had apparently bin Kowalski's true love, and they were supposed to live a happy life together. It didn't make much sense to Private, but hey, if Marlene and Julien made it work than maybe a dolphin and a penguin could too. Kowalski said they had met in the facility where they were being educated. He always acted like her memory greatly pained him, and for a long time Private thought she wasn't real or had left the intellectual. Private saw now his grave mistake in thinking that.

Kowalski had been part of some research experiment when he was around Private's age. Kowalski was the oldest of the group and that was nearly ten years ago, Private figured. According to the scientist a group of humans had taken a small group of penguins and dolphins into research to see what level of intelligence they could coax out of the animals. Kowalski didn't say much other than the fact that he was once in love with one of the bottle-nosed dolphins in the program, who was named Doris.

Kowalski had said once that there was a huge accident one day at the facility, and all of his friends were killed. He never said anything about Doris' fate or how he escaped for that matter. He never even told about the source of the accident or what had actually happened.

For that reason Private couldn't believe what he heard Kowalski say only moments ago. He was entirely stunned, in fact. He had always figured Doris had just run away from Kowalski because they were different species entirely. He had never realized that the dolphin had actually been murdered. He immediately thought back to what he said to Kowalski about Doris and felt terrible.

What concerned him even more was the fact that the murderer had just been staring them down moments ago.

Skipper found his voice again and asked, "Who was that man, Kowalski?"

"A notion of my nightmares," Kowalski huffed through his flippers. Skipper yanked his head back up from the table and glared at him.

"What do you mean, soldier?"

"That was the dark man I remember from the facility. He was part of the team that gunned down all of my friends and the scientists that were there. Then, he shot Doris. Shot her right in front of my eyes," Kowalski sobbed.

Private shivered from the sound of his voice. Usually the intellectual was so calm, collected, and down to Earth that he always spoke with an air of confidence and intelligence. Usually he was the one to look to with questions, but now the bird looked like a crumpled heap sitting in his chair. His face was still washed like he had just seen a ghost.

Maybe he had.

"You never told me that," Skipper said, though his voice was calm and collected. Skipper knew his men, knew how to talk to them. The last thing Kowalski needed right now was to be yelled at.

"I know, I know," Kowalski said before Skipper immediately let go of his head and it flopped back down into his flippers.

It was a helpless sight, seeing a bird that once stood so proudly reduced to nothing but a shell. Private felt compelled to do something, to say something that might make him feel a little better or a little less scared. Nothing came to mind. He figured anything he said would probably just hurt the tall bird more, anyway.

How could just the mere sight of a man have done this to him? Private didn't understand.

Skipper glanced over at Rico and Private like he was looking for some help with what to do next. Both of the birds shrugged in his direction and he narrowed his eyes, scowling. Even though, he placed a more calm look on his face and pulled a chair up to Kowalski, who was audibly sobbing into his flippers.

The sight made Private's eyes water, but he wiped them to keep them clear. He shouldn't be crying for Kowalski's past.

"Kowalski," Skipper said, calmly and clearly, "I need to know everything about this man. Where he came from, what kind of tricks he has up his sleeve, and why he might be working with Alice."

"Don't you see? He's come to finish the job!" Kowalski cried suddenly, and Skipper jumped back as his rouge flippers flew into the air. Immediately, Kowalski shoved his head back down.

Private shifted in his place, then said, "He looked at you like he'd never seen you before K'walski. I don't think he knows who you are."

To this Kowalski immediately sent a piercing glare to Private, and the small bird hushed. The tall bird's eyes looked bloodshot already as he scowled in Private's direction. Private wished with all of his heart that he never said those things to the bird that day during training. Then maybe his words now would actually have some sort of effect.

"Maybe so," Skipper nodded. He was now leaning back in his chair with his flippers crossed; his trademark stance. "However, no crazed lunatic is going to get his hands on one of my men while I'm around to do something about it."

Skipper smiled towards Kowalski to cheer him up, but Kowalski didn't notice. This upset the leader, and he reached the end of his rope and ripped the bird's head back off the table, holding it back. "Fish and chips, man, get a hold of yourself!"

Private flinched as Skipper slapped Kowalski across the beak, turning his head completely sideways. The bird rubbed the spot gingerly and said meekly, "Sorry."

"That's better," nodded Skipper, taking his seat again. "Now, who was that guy?"

"Back at the facility," Kowalski began, "one night there was a raid. Some powerful men didn't... agree with what they were doing there, educating birds and dolphins. So they sent in a strike force to wipe it from the map. They shot all of the scientists and any animals they could find, even though they had no way of defending themselves.

"They were all dressed in dark black with masks, except for that one man. He was wearing the same thing he was today. Those blue clothes and his sunglasses. He was the leader of the strike team, calling all of the shots and ordering the other humans not to spare anyone's life. He shot Doris without a second thought while she was happily swimming in her..."

Kowalski paused for a second, taking a few calm breaths to stop himself from breaking down again.

"I managed to escape from there without getting killed, but I know he's followed me here. He wants to finish the job and kill me, even after so many years."

"Did he even spot you at the facility?" Skipper asked.

"Yes. He looked me dead in the face right after he shot Doris. Then he tried shooting me, but his gun wasn't loaded. By the time he could reload I was able to escape from the facility entirely. The last time I remember seeing him before today was when he walked out of the facility with his marauders and it exploded."

Skipper tapped his beak. "So you're telling me that the man we just saw working with Alice is actually a crazed murderer?"

"Precisely," said Kowalski.

"Wonderful, just wonderful," Skipper agreed. "So what's he got in terms of weapons, equipment, that kind of thing. I need to know what we're up against here."

"When he raided the facility his men were equipped with guns, but I don't know of what caliber they were. Other than that I don't know what he's capable of, but he was able to pursue me through the facility for a long time. I guess he's good at knowing where something is at all times," Kowalski explained.

"So he knows what he's doing. Now what could he be doing here, working with Alice?"

"He has followed me here, Skipper," Kowalski insisted. "He was hunting me. He wants me dead."

Private scowled slightly at the bird's words. Even if what had happened at the facility was true, it was doubtful that man had actually dedicated ten years of his life to hunting down the bird. From what Kowalski had said he left nobody else alive at the massacre, so why waste so much time following one bird? What had Kowalski amounted to anyway that was of so much concern to this villain? Just backstabbing Skipper and almost joining up with Sarge, that was all.

The small bird shook his head. Kowalski was genuinely scared, something that he never seen out of the intellectual before. It gave Private confidence in his teammates actions, but only a tiny bit. What he said must have been true. The question now was how could they stand up to a massive, well-equipped human like that? He kept his beak shut through all of these thoughts, hoping to not to upset the tall bird even more.

"Alice wouldn't let him near us if she knew what he was trying to do. And even if he was hiding it from her, she's smarter than that. She wouldn't just give him a spare key to the zoo if he was just playing the role of a zoo guest."

It was true that Alice and the penguins had some sort of unexpressed bond since the events of the antechamber. The crazy zookeeper had pursued them all the way to the frozen continent to try to take them back to the zoo. She had wound up being a vital ally, and really saved all of their lives. Ever since that she had been aiding them in whatever they wanted to do in any way she could.

Like recently, how she had fired the lazy night time security so they could move around more easily through the zoo at night. Suddenly Private came to a realization.

"Skippah," he piped up, causing the bird to turn in his direction. "Remember how Alice fired the night security a few days ago? This man is probably the new night security."

Skipper scowled, but not at Private. "Right. I don't know why a crazed killer would want to be a security guard... unless..."

All three birds looked towards Kowalski whose face went blank. "He's going to come get me in my sleep, isn't he?" he asked, sheepishly.

Private was almost offended by the statement. He was trying his best to be hopeful for Kowalski, and felt genuinely bad him having to relive the terrors of his past, but this was a little ridiculous. He was being a coward just because he was suddenly faced with the realization that he might die. He did the same thing in the antechamber in Antarctica. Instead of just facing the facts, he back stabbed all of his teammates so that they wouldn't get hurt or killed.

And as a result of that Manfredi was dead, and Private had come close to it. Hell, they all almost did.

Private thought to the Sun's prophesy for a moment. How Kowalski was eventually supposed to sacrifice himself for the sake of all of the human lives on the planet when he hardly could accept that a threat to his life might be working at the zoo? That made no sense. Kowalski didn't have the courage to do that. He'd rather save himself than all of the people, and Private knew that for sure. Private was glad suddenly that the prophesy was a load of garbage anyway, or else Kowalski would never be able to save the humans.

Private's heated thoughts were whisked away suddenly but a more reasonable understanding. Something that he might think immediately if this had been the old Private, before the events with Sarge. The Private that he so dearly missed, before he was plagued by the dreams and the unexplainable anger problems. He saw there was a reason behind Kowalski's fear, and that was in the fact that he had already seen so much death already. He was terrified of it himself. Suddenly, Private felt terrible.

"Well we saw him walking out of the zoo before we came down here, so he probably won't be back tonight. Tomorrow night we can only be ready for him."

"How can we prepare?" Private asked.

"He's not going to just shoot Kowalski on sight in the middle of the zoo," Skipper explained. "He's going to arrange something in the middle of the night, something designed to look like an accident. That way Alice won't get suspicious. We can be ready by being on highest mental alert. We'll have to take shifts overnight to keep watch, and constantly be looking for traps."

"What about the other animals, Skippah?" Private asked.

To this Kowalski lifted his head and returned, "He doesn't care about them. He only wants me."

Skipper nodded. "This man only wants the animals he saw survive the facility, and Kowalski fits that criteria. He'll leave the other animals alone."

Private nodded. Skipper was intensely smart at coming up with defensive strategies and predicting the enemy's moves. That was why he was just a cunning leader. He lacked when his team wasn't together, though, and Kowalski was definitely falling apart at the hinges. Private wondered if there was _anything_ he could do for the bird, but his mind went blank again.

He'd just have to add it to the list. Step one, get Kowalski to forgive an unforgivable sin. Step two, get Kowalski to accept that he has to die to save billions of human beings. Step three, get Kowalski to stop crying like a baby.

Private shook his head. He certainly had a lot of responsibilities he never asked to take on.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note<strong>**: **I hope this Kowalski/Officer X conflict isn't overshadowing Dmitri's story. Things will hopefully be worth it when both story arcs combine near the middle of the story. Its kind of like two entirely different stories right now, though, so I apologize for that.

Oh, and if you can't tell. This story focuses on Kowalski's back story, from my opinion. The first book focused on Skipper's. There will also be a little bit of Private's story in this one, but Kowalski is the focus.


	12. A Permanent Solution

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 11 – A Permanent Solution<strong>

** DMITRI SAT IN THE DARKNESS OF HIS HOUSE**.

It was quiet. Too quiet as he sat in the middle of the room. Around him were the usual amenities of an emperor penguin house. There was a carved driftwood table, a ice block counter with a collection of pebbles on it, and a cloth hung in place of the door. Even so, the place felt like it could have been entirely empty as the bird sat in the silence.

Only a matter of two days ago he had walked out of this place with his mother, on what was supposed to be the proudest day of his life. The coming of age ceremony was something that all young penguins looked forward to experiencing as it meant they could find a mate, build a house, and start a family. Even though he had been shaky at first, his mother boosted his confidence and he walked out into the square to be initiated into the society. Just before his mother was taken from him.

Now his confidence was shattered as he sat quietly. He wasn't used to the house being this quiet—usually his mother and him would be able to find something to chat about. Now, nothing but darkness looked back at him as he gazed over the objects in the room. He already missed her, that was for sure. He wondered if he was ever going to see her again.

Probably not, he figured. All because of those hunters and their stupid sleep bring darts. No penguins ever came back after they were abducted, and he knew what happened to them. Sold as pets or skinned alive for their feathers. It sickened him to think about it, and he knocked the pebbles off the nearby counter.

Immediately he felt guilty and reached down to pick them up. He froze as he lifted the largest one of the group into his flippers. This was the one that Melanda had been found on his true mother the day he hatched before her dead body. It was perfectly round and shiny as though it could have been a pearl.

Apparently it was her engagement stone, given to her by his father. The engagement stone was meant to be of great significance and held the two birds together until their first child, at which the child took the place of the stone. The stone was still regarded highly, though, and was usually displayed in the home.

This stone in particular had been the binding keepsake between Dmitri's mother and father. He never knew what happened to his father. From what Melanda and the others had told him over the last few years, his mother had been the only close thing to him when he hatched. Her and the pebble that he now passed between his flippers.

Where had his father been? Did he run away from her on that day and seal both her fate and his own? That couldn't have been true. The stone Dmitri held in his flippers showed that the bird that was his father was more committed than that, committed to start a family with his mother. He himself was an even stronger indication of that. He must have died defending her elsewhere, and his body must have been too mangled to be recognizable.

Then again, the emperors had no clue who any of the penguins who lived in the penguin city were, anyway. They could have spotted his father's body and just dismissed it as another dead penguin. Dead by what, though? There were so many questions running around his mind, and those questions couldn't be answered by the emperors he lived with.

Who was he? Who was Dmitri Mooneyes?

"Hey, Dmitri," said a soft voice. He hadn't noticed Irena walk into the room. It wasn't commonplace for emperors to knock; they regarded everyone's home as a public gathering place.

"Hey," he returned, not looking up from the pebble in his flippers.

"Edgar says that we should get going to the temple at first light," she explained.

Dmitri didn't respond, merely focused on the stone in his flippers. Irena approached him and glanced at the stone.

"It's beautiful," she commented, "Melanda was a very lucky penguin to have received that."

Dmitri looked up at the female emperor and saw that she was smiling compassionately. Her words had been innocent enough, but it was obvious that she didn't realize how much they actually burned him. His adopted mother had never engaged, and had no stone of her own.

"It wasn't Melanda's," Dmitri clarified, "it belonged to my mother. My real mother, on the day of the massacre."

Irena's face immediately transitioned into something more sad, as though she was regretting her mistake. All of the emperors knew of the stories of the massacre, how a thousand penguins had simultaneously wound up dead on the same day. How only one baby chick survived in the arms of Melanda Mooneyes.

Nobody spoke of how the emperors moved in the next day, though.

"I'm sorry," she offered, turning her head slightly to the side. "Well she must have been really lucky. I'm sure your father was a great penguin."

"Yeah," returned Dmitri, then set the pebble on the counter. "How do you suppose it happened? The massacre, I mean."

Irena looked a little surprised at the question. "Well, it could have been a rouge lion seal attack, some tragic weather moving through, or some kind of war with other penguins..."

"C'mon Irena," Dmitri said, shaking his head. "War with who? Mom always told me that the emperors and the Penguin City were the only two major factions in Antarctica and they didn't fight like that."

"That's true," agreed the emperor. "You know, it could have been the humans for all we know."

Dmitri's eyes went wide at the statement. He had never considered that. "Of course! They come here so much that they it makes sense they would be to blame."

"Why would they want to kill so many penguins, though?" countered Irena. "They never bothered us until recently, anyway."

Dmitri was concerned with how nonchalantly the female spoke about the abduction and ultimate murder of her friends and family. She had just lost her father, and yet she spoke as though she had already moved on from his memory. It perplexed him even more than it had when he was drugged up on the sleep-bringing agent. Thankfully, with Edgars help, he had made a full recovery from the poison.

Irena continued, "They only take a few penguins at a time, anyway. I don't think they'd be interested in... mass murder."

Dmitri narrowed his eyes the memory of Melanda's unconscious form being dragged away flooding back to him. "Those bastards did it for sick pleasure, probably," he shot.

Irena lowered her eyes. "Yeah, probably."

"How are you doing through all of this?" Dmitri asked, realizing that he had been the focus of attention since the recent attack on their hometown.

The female shuffled in her place slightly, not bring her eyes up from the ground. "My father always told me to be strong if anything ever happened to him. He said that I should not dwell on him and that I should move on to bigger and better things."

"He knew this was going to happen," he offered, "didn't he?"  
>Irena nodded. It was true that may of the penguins had become aware that their days were numbered, with the hunter attacks becoming more frequent in recent months. Their arsenal had increased and the number of penguins they took with them each time had been growing. Even though the emperors had been trying to go on with their daily life, each and every one of them was aware that eventually they would all be abducted. They could only hope that their children could grow up properly without them, and that they wouldn't be abducted themselves.<p>

Dmitri placed a consoling flipper on Irena's shoulder. "That was very brave of him," he said. "You know, he told me to run and hide even though he got hit by one of the darts. He was trying to protect me."

"Dad was like that," returned Irena. "He always was looking out for his fellow penguin."

"Yeah, so was my mom."

"Yeah."

Dmitri removed his flipper from the female's plumage, but she glanced up at him like she didn't want him to let go. The green-eyed penguin didn't realize this at first, but the gesture had still been there. The female immediately averted her eyes once again when she realized he was at her.

"So I want to follow what my dad said," Irena stated after a few moments. "I'm going to move on. I know that's what he'd want me to do."

Dmitri could only admire the bird's courage. He himself had just been sulking mere moments ago over his mother's abduction and his insatiable curiosity over where he had come from. He still felt the room was empty without his mother, even with Irena standing near him.

He nodded back to her and said, "You're right. I know Melanda would want me to do the same thing."

Dmitri smiled towards the female, and she smiled back. It warmed his heart a little bit knowing that he had at least one penguin to confide in. He had never really made good relations with the other penguins except Banar and Melanda, and now they were gone. Irena was still here, though, and Dmitri had never realized just how good of a friend she was, even though she never was his.

Two birds, two missing parents, two heaps of grief, and a whopping sense of fear that they could be next.

"What can we do to stop this?" asked Dmitri suddenly. "I'm sick of running into hiding each time they come. There must be something we can do against the hunters."

Irena shrugged. "The only time dad formed a small group to try to fight them away, the hunters actually killed a few of us. Right in front of the others' eyes. We can't fight them, they've got too many tools and they're way bigger than us."

Dmitri had been only a chick when that had happened, it was only the third attack on the Penguin City by the hunters, but Banar had been fed up with it after the first. His group was destroyed, and the chieftain himself barely lived to tell the tale.

"Yeah, but there must be a way. If we don't do anything we're all just going to die anyway," he argued.

The last few words seemed to come out too hard for Irena, and Dmitri saw her eyes water up. She was so full of courage that Dmitri didn't know the tears were actually real. Then he felt the same hopelessness that settled in on her heart and realized that she was suddenly pressured with protecting the other emperors. She was an only child, and with her father gone, the other penguins were going to look up to her for defense.

Dmitri gently wiped away a tear that began to work its way down the female's plumage. It was in almost the same way that she had wiped away his drool only hours ago. "I'll do anything I can to help," he said.

She nodded, then smiled slightly again. Dmitri smiled back, and the two birds looked into each others' eyes for the time being. No matter what was going to happen with the hunters both birds simultaneously knew that they were going to fight until their last breath. Who knew, Dmitri thought, maybe they just wouldn't come back?

His hope was shattered as piercing screams made their way into the home. Dmitri immediately hopped to the door and peered out into the square outside the home. From the chaos erupting everywhere with penguins tripping over each other, he knew that the hunters were back.

Immediately his eyes fell onto them. They looked different this time, wearing orange suits instead of the brown ones of the previous group. They were caring large spotlights that seemed to be emitting light as bright as the sun itself, and the entire square was brightly lit up. They still held weapons, and though they looked different than the other hunters', Dmitri could tell that they still fired the sleep-bringing darts.

"My gosh," whispered Irena.

Dmitri clenched his beak. There were even more hunters than before, and he had no clue how to even fight back against them. There could be twenty of them this time, instead of the measly three from last time. How in the world were they supposed to counteract the sleep-bringing drugs that the humans could deal out so easily? He saw a baby penguin fall in the middle of the square, hit by one the darts, and was prompted into action.

He began charging out into the fray but was held back by Irena. He looked back at her and knew what she was thinking. He was just going to get hit by a dart again. It was pointless to just charge. They needed a strategy.

Dmitri looked around and saw the black-beaked penguin from earlier crouched behind a low wall across the path. He broke away from Irena and sprinted over to him. He was clutching a book in his flipper and had his rucksack thrown over his shoulder.

"Edgar," he called when he was close. The bird acknowledged him by signaling him to get down. Dmitri obeyed by crouching behind the wall he was close to.

"This shouldn't be happening," the bird called back. "These men are researchers, not poachers."

Dmitri was dumbfounded. "What's the difference?" he shouted.

"These men are supposed to be here to help you penguins defend yourselves against the hunters!"

Dmitri didn't believe his ears. Would any of the humans actually come to their aid? Was there such a thing as a human who didn't want to scalp the emperors and sell them for their feathers? He looked at Edgar and saw him gesturing to a break in between two nearby buildings that would take them out of the city.

"I can't leave while my friends are being attacked," argued Dmitri, narrowing his eyes. "You must have something that we can use against them!"

Dmitri's heart dropped as Edgar shook his head. "There is nothing we can do without weapons," he shouted back. Dmitri knew it was true, and clenched his beak tighter.

"Well, what can we use as weapons?"

Edgar displayed surprising agility suddenly as he rolled across the opening in the pathway to where Dmitri was and crouched near him. "The temple you were going to take me to has an immensely powerful artifact in it, remember?" he asked.

Dmitri nodded his head.

"Good. It's a long shot, but it might have the ability to erase all human life from the planet entirely. No time to explain it now, but it could save your friends. Do you trust me?"

The bird hesitated for a moment, but nodded his head. He would do anything to stop the attacks. Too many baby emperors were orphaned because of the damn humans, and he knew tonight's attack would result in many more. And from the looks of it, they were taking the babies for themselves as well.

"Good, now lets get out of here," Edgar said, then immediately darted in between the buildings.

Dmitri gestured to Irena and they swiftly followed the black-beaked penguin into the night.


	13. A Conflict of Emotions

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 12 – A Conflict of Emotions**

**PRIVATE SAT ON TOP OF THE ICE FLOE, STARING INTO THE RISING SUN.**

It was just breaking the top of the taller buildings now, and its warm rays bored into his feathers to warm his chilled core. He had been up here for some time now, keeping watch for the others so they could get some shut eye. Even though they didn't expect the mysterious dark man to be back so early, Skipper didn't want to take any chances. For that reason they each had taken two hour shifts waddling around the top of the HQ, keeping an eye out and generally being bored.

Private was torn for some time over who the dark man actually was and if he was truly here to hunt down Kowalski. He wanted to believe his friend, that his story had been truthful and that this man was an actual threat to them rather than just a harmless, new security guard. It was hard for Private to do so with the knowledge that Kowalski hardly trusted him with the Sun's prophesy. Normally Private would always think to trust before mistrusting, but now he found it increasingly difficult to trust even the bird he called his brother.

That fact was one more thing he had added to the list of things to ask the Sun next time they held a conversation. Even though its advice didn't usually make a lot of sense it at least gave the small bird a sense of direction and calmed him down a bit from always worrying about what was around the next corner for him. For all he knew this growing anger problem was a sign of his failing sanity. Just as how the dreams were becoming more and more real over the last six months, he felt himself slipping from reality.

It was like he was now watching his life go by like a movie on a television screen. A lot of the time he felt like he had no control over his own actions or how he treated those around him. It was like his life had turned into a tragic movie, and he was just sitting back and could have no control over the events. Reality was becoming a tangible thing for him now, like he knew when he was actually himself and when he wasn't.

Another thing to the list. He had actually wanted to talk to the Sun last night, but he had slept more peacefully than he had since he was assimilated into the Sun. He was thankful for the rest, as usually his nights were choppy and often he'd barely get a few hours of sleep. On the other hand he was becoming increasingly confused about the events unfolding around him and about his own state of mind.

The Sun must have control over when they converse, Private thought. Like its got a little button it can press whenever Private goes to sleep in order to show him something in a dream or take him to meet with itself for a conversation. Last night there had been no such thin, and Private felt a little disorientated. Why wouldn't the Sun want to talk to him now that he was most confused? Had he screwed up by becoming so angry the last time he was there?

Maybe it was because Private had blown off the Sun's prophesy entirely. Skipper's logic had prevailed over that of the celestial penguin of his dreams, merely because Skipper was a tangible penguin and there was nothing proving that the Sun actually existed. He wished he could actually forget about the idea of six billion human beings disappearing, but the idea stayed in the back of his mind.

He had the slightest feeling that it was actually going to happen, and that it was going to happen soon. The feeling was so condescending, in fact, that Private almost thought today was going to be the day it was going to happen. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the growing sense of fear. He was definitely going crazy to be feeling such things about something that wasn't going to happen.

He wished that he could talk to the Sun now, actually. There were so many unanswered questions and so much that had happened in the last few days to tell it. His sleep had been too peaceful, he thought, and he didn't like it. For once in the last six months, he was wishing for nightmares.

Private heard the fishbowl entrance open behind him, but he didn't move. He merely shifted in his place at the end of the pool. He was wondering when Skipper was going to join him.

"Hey, Skippah," he said without turning.

There was only a grunt in response, and Private whipped around to see Rico standing with two large flipper-fulls of fish. Rico wasn't one to be up this early, and his shift had been the first of the night, so it was strange to see him awake.

"Oh, sorry, Rico," offered Private before turning around. Rico waddled over to him and set the fish down next to him, taking one up and swallowing it whole.

"_You hungry?_" the weapons expert wheezed, pushing a fish closer to Private with his webbed food.

Private waved a flipper and looked away from the fish. "No thanks," he said. In fact the smell of the fish was making his already unstable stomach do back flips. He could only assume it was a result of the sudden fear he was feeling.

Rico shrugged and sat down next to Private, munching on another fishtail. Private looked up at his heavyset friend.

"So, what's up?" he asked him, curious as to why he had risen so early.

"_K'waski won't stop crying,_" explained Rico. "_Can't sleep_."

Private nodded. He had heard the intellectual quietly sniffling before he had drifted off earlier in the night. The only thing he remembered thinking was how pathetic he really was.

"It's kind of a shame, really," Private returned. "That man, if he is really who K'walski was describing, isn't going to recognize him. He's scared over nothing."

Rico turned to his friend, stopping his senseless munching on the fishtail. After a moment he said, "_Nuh-uh. K'waski's not scared._"

"What do you mean?"

"_K'waski hiding real sadness with fear. He is sad for loss," _Rico explained, then began munching again.

Private hadn't even considered that angle. Kowalski was the kind of bird who would not admit to feeling sad or mournful, and wouldn't want his friends to know that he was. It made sense that he would cover up the more tragic feelings the dark man had brought with him with fear so Private, Rico, and Skipper wouldn't pester him about it. Private wondered how Rico was so tuned to notice these things.

"I can understand why he's sad," the small bird said, "but this is a bit ridiculous. He's crying over something that happened like ten years ago, isn't he? Shouldn't he just let it go and move on, like Skipper did with Manfredi and Johnson?"

Rico shook his head disapprovingly. "_Can't say that. You waddah lost friends. You don't know what he feel._"

"I suppose you're right," Private affirmed. "I can't say that I have lost all of my friends at one time before."

At this, Rico surprisingly smiled. He finished his fishtail and began munching on another fish. "_K'waski loves friends. He miss them,_" the large bird offered.

Private nodded. "I suppose I would feel the same, considering everything that happened to him. It's still been ten years, though. And if that man is actually here to kill him, he's got to get together so we can actually help him."

"_He can do it,_" Rico nodded.

"There isn't much we can say or do to get him off of the idea," analyzed the small bird. "He is so attached to his memories that there isn't a think we can do that will help him be at peace. Especially from me, considering that he really does hate me, now, after attacking him."

"_K'waski no hate you,_" countered Rico, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Yeah he does. You saw how mad he got about what I said, and how he said he would never forgive me for it. Then I went off and attacked him, even though I don't remember it."

"_Wha' happened again?_" Rico asked before slurping down the fish he was munching on.

"I had a dream where I was talking to the Sun again, and in the dream I got really mad at the Sun about Kowalski. Then, when I woke up with Skippah barking at me because I just attacked Kowalski," Private reminded him.

"_Mmm..._" Rico said, finishing his fish. He pushed the remaining ones over to Private, who grimaced. He just couldn't stand to eat right now, he was too concerned with everything else going on. "_K'waski understand._"

Private looked at his friend like he was crazy. Rico shrugged at the smaller birds gesture, but Private still got the hint that the bird knew it was true. Maybe Rico was onto something here. More likely, the bird was just being naïve, thinking that everything was okay when it really wasn't.

"The only thing K'walski understands is the fact that his greatest enemy has returned to haunt him, and that I insulted him on the deepest level possible," Private returned, crossing his flippers and looking glumly at the pool.

"_I 'unno why he act like this,_" offered Rico. "H_e know you don't mean it._"

Private looked back up at the bird who was had a sincere look on his face. Rico was always the best in the group at listening, even though he had a hard time speaking. Often he was able to detect feelings that the other birds could not through their motions and actions. Private had always figured Rico was a little less observant than that, but he was actually very intelligent.

"He doesn't?" Private asked.

"_Yeah. K'walski waddah forgive you,_" Rico insisted. He pushed the fish even closer to Private, encouraging his smaller friend to have some breakfast. Feeling like he was about to vomit, Private slapped the fish off the platform and it landed in the water with a splash.

"I'm not hungry, Rico," growled the small bird.

Rico looked confused at his younger friend, but then expressed concern. "_Whats wrong_?" he asked.

Private narrowed his eyes at his heavyset teammate. He was so observant of their actions, yet he never seemed to know exactly what was going on.

"Did you even listen to anything I just said? I insulted K'walski, one of my greatest friends, and then all out _attacked_ him. Then there's the Sun's prophesy, don't forget, in which I'm supposed to convince Kowalski that he's supposed to die to save all the people on the planet. Oh yeah, did I mention Kowalski is supposed to _die_? Maybe that dark man will do it for us!"

Private threw up his flippers as he said the last sentence, then crossed them immediately after, looking away form Rico. Even though they didn't make eye contact, Private could almost feel the shivers traveling down his spine. Private's words had obviously been enlightening for him.

"_I dun waddah K'waslki to die,_" he mumbled.

"If the Sun's right, or if it even exists for that matter and I'm not just completely bonkers, his clock is ticking. And you know what? I think it might stop ticking _today._" Private growled the words through his clenched beak, feeling his flippers tremble a little bit.

"_Why so angry_?" Rico asked. Private took a deep breath. It was true these outbursts were not like him, and Rico and the others had easily noticed. Private gingerly touched his scar which had begun to hurt again.

"I dunno, Rico," the small bird offered back, trying to calm down. "It's just... there's a lot of stuff that's been put on my shoulders recently, like the whole world is against me. Actually its more for me, if you think about it, considering all of the humans might be relying on me save their lives in the near future."

Private looked back up at his teammate, who was smiling. "_Its kay."_

"Says you," Private responded. "I'm the one going completely mental over here."

"_Nu-uh,_" the large bird argued. "_You just growing up._"

Rico looked at him, that same smile still plastered on his beak. Maybe the maniacal penguin was onto something; Private was due to be six years old later this year. He hadn't considered the fact that he was no longer a young adult penguin. Maybe this was who he was destined to be, with his innocence destroyed by the events with Manfredi and in the antechamber? Just some angry old bird who talked to the Earth's life energy in his dreams.

"_See_," Rico continued after Private's silence, "_no waddah grow up._"

"I don't have a problem with growing up," argued the small bird. "Its just all this stuff, y'know. Why me? Why now? If I'm still young, why not someone like Skipper or any other animal in the zoo, for goodness sake."

Rico shrugged his shoulders, then leaned back to look at the sun which had now risen fully over the buildings. Its warmth was welcomed by the two birds and they basked in it for a while.

"Hey, Rico," Private said as he saw Alice walk tiredly across the zoo to her office, "thanks for the talk."

Rico nodded wildly, "_welcome_."

With that the large bird jumped into the pool and fetched the fish from the bottom, bringing it back up and placing it in Private's lap. Private grasped the gift in his flippers, and offered his thanks to Rico who then happily began swimming laps around the ice floe.

The small bird still wasn't hungry, but he picked at the fish anyway. It was probably good for him to get something in his stomach as he hadn't eaten much in the last few days. If Rico thought it was a good idea and might cheer him up, it probably was going to.

Private was glad Rico was there for him, though. Even more so than Skipper. The two birds had never been super close, even though they would easily take a bullet for each other. Their talk this morning showed Private that Rico was looking out for all of them just like Skipper was, and that he was a little more willing to listen than the leader ever would be.

Rico also had compassion and understanding, something that Skipper never offered Private. Something that kept him from becoming offended as Private had become angry only a few moments ago. Something that allowed Rico to forgive Private no matter what happened. Something that helped Rico speak up in defense of Private even though he had attacked Kowalski.

Private narrowed his eyes suddenly as he clutched the fish in his flippers. Rico was being a little too optimistic, he thought. There were a lot of things that had to happen in the next few days, some of it that he was sure none of the penguins wanted to see happen. It was all going to start when the dark man returned later in the day. There was always that nagging feeling that something terrible was going to happen today, too. Something like the prophesy coming true.

The small bird thought about the prophesy one more time. Was it completely false? Was there a chance it could happen? Suddenly Private found himself overwhelmed with the idea that it was actually going to come true.

The idea of it terrified him.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note:<strong> This really is my first time trying to include Rico as a main player for a chapter. How do you think I did?


	14. A Time of Desperation

**~Author's Note: **Hope everyone enjoyed the April Fools' Day joke chapter. Time to get back to reality, and thus I've removed that chapter and replaced it with the actual next chapter. If you missed out or you'd like to read it again, it's on my DeviantArt page. Just search up 'cudabear' and you'll find my page.

* * *

><p><strong>The Power of Silence<br>****Chapter 13 - A Time of Desperation**

** "HOW DO YOU THINK THIS THING WORKS?"**

Dmitri asked Edgar the question as they waddled through the cold night on their way to the mysterious temple. The black-beaked scientist had told him ad Irena much about what the Sun was what it might be capable of in the last few hours. Dmitri had no reason to believe what he said was true, but he saw it as the only hope for his friends back at the Penguin City. They were being taken away, and this mysterious Sun might be the only thing that could save them.

"That's a question I've been trying to answer for a while myself, actually," Edgar answered. "I really don't know for sure. It seems like it is some massive mass of energy contained in a small container, but that doesn't explain why it has the ability to absorb humans. That's even if it works that way, as I've never witnessed that happen, either."

"You said it could absorb all of the human beings on the planet in one go, right?" Dmitri asked.

"According to the notes I've been reading there is some sort of amplifier in the temple that can increase the Sun's range to about that of the entire planet," responded the scientist, pulling on the straps of his backpack.

Dmitri nodded. He didn't even consider how extreme the solution was. For all he cared the world would be far better off without any people on it, and he was determined to go through with what Edgar said. He just hoped it was actually true; there might be something that could save all of his friends and maybe even his mother.

"You know," said Edgar, "if it works its going to erase _all _human life from the planet entirely, not just those few who wronged you. I don't think there is any way to reverse its effect, either."

Irena gasped. "So it's more like killing them all?"

"Kind of," the midnight-black penguin answered. "The notes I've read on the issue insist that it's some sort of absorption, where the people live inside the Sun rather than just dieing. If I had to guess I'd say it just kills them, though."

Dmitri's eyes went wide. By doing what he was planning he would be killing every single human on the planet with one action. Would that make him a mass murderer, just like the humans he was trying to stop? He shook his head. They killed penguins on a daily basis; what was the difference if a penguin killed a few people?

"If that's what needs to happen, I'll do it," he affirmed.

Irena looked at him concernedly for a moment, but he nodded in her direction. She seemed to get the meaning, as she didn't want to see all of her friends get taken by those stupid researchers. They were going to scalped and sold, and niether Irena or Dmitri would put up with that. The female had something more powerful pushing her forward though, and that was her responsibility. Defending the city now that her father was gone.

"I'm not going to stop you," returned Edgar, looking out onto the horizion, "I mean, I told you about it in the first place. Just don't expect me to try if you can't do it."

Dmitri cocked his head curiously at the scientist penguin. "Why's that?"

Edgar looked back towards the young penguin. His red orbs were like lasers that pierced through Dmitri's body and the bird could only look away. "I've been wronged by people before, too, you know."

"Yeah?" Irena asked.

"But I've also had the benefit of the people's help. On the same spectrum, I've been wronged by penguins in the same manner, and there have been penguins to help me. There are evils in both areas on this planet, so I'm not going to stop you from destroying half of that evil. Just be aware that it won't solve everything."

Dmitri nodded. "It'll solve our problems at least."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Edgar said. "I thought the same thing the last time I used the Sun for something. Everything wound up turning around to bite me in the ass by the end, though."

"What do you mean?" queried Irena.

"Just that its not going to solve everything. Believe it or not the humans do help to keep the balance of things on the planet, even though they have been committing murder on a day to day basis. Be sure that you truly want to upset that balance before you attempt to go through with this."

"Stopping murder?" scoffed Dmitri. "I think I'll take my chances."

Edgar shrugged. "Don't expect me to fix anything if it goes sour."

"Of course not," Dmitri returned.

"Good," returned the black-beaked bird. He turned to Irena. "How long until we reach the temple?"

"It should be right over this next hill if I remember correctly," the female responded.

Dmitri looked towards the snow drift they were currently ascending. This was the furthest he

had ever been from home before. Before this Melanda only took him to go fish in the ocean nearby to the Penguin City, and that was only about an hour trek. Now they had been walking for at least half of the day as the early winter sun had already risen and set. He wasn't concerned with that fact, though, as he was confident in his need to save his friends and in Irena's navigating.

The sight of the temple as the rounded the hill threatened to take that confidence from him, though. It was truly spectacular, like none of the buildings Dmitri had seen in the Penguin City. It was massive even from this distance, and the penguin could only imagine how big it was on the inside. It glistened in the moonlight, showing that it was made of very shiny materiel.

It definitely wasn't ice Dmitri thought, noticing how dark it looked. It actually looked like a black blotch on the white landscape, and he wondered how in the world it had gone noticed by both the humans and the penguins of the Penguin City for so long. Only Banar and Irena seemed to be familiar with it, and they both had seemed to be terrified of it.

It was definitely foreboding. It had tall walls that shot up around the main structure that ended in sharp points directed inwardly towards the main structure. On the tips of some of the towers there were what looked like glowing orbs that were illuminating the area around the structure. The entire place looked untouched by the brutal weather around it, and even the snow seemed to fade away as it got closer to the structure displaying dark, smooth looking rock.

"You coming, Dmitri?" Irena asked as he noticed she was gently sliding down the slope on her belly, already halfway down the snowbank.

He didn't realize he had been entranced by the structure before him, and shook his head. Without hesitating he launched himself forward, sliding down the snow on his belly. He whisked by Irena, focused on the snow in front of him. Being fast was something he was good at. When he was a chick none of the emperors could ever catch him, often times even his mother when he was in trouble. Swift, fast, and agile, while the emperors were large, slow, and cumbersome. One thing that distinguished him as a different type of penguin entirely, he thought.

When he got to the bottom, however, Edgar was already there tapping his foot impatiently. "There you are," he said, "I thought the sight of the place scared you off for a minute."

He was just standing up on top; how had he reached the bottom so fast? Dmitri stood up, brushing the snow off of his chest feathers as Irena pulled herself off the ground next to him.

"Don't worry, we're not going anywhere until we find out how to get rid of those marauders back in the town," she offered, and Dmitri nodded in approval. She was still confident, and it was a great booster for him.

"Good," Edgar returned, then set off to the temple once more.

As they approached the structure Dmitri was even more in awe than he was from a distance. The material it was made of was some sort of a translucent black tile that Dmitri thought was reflective, but as he approached it he couldn't see any reflection staring back at him, not even a glare from the light on the top of the top of the towers.

The rock beneath his webbed feet felt strange as well, mostly because there was little he ever felt except ice, snow, or water. It was hard and cold, but didn't seem to be as cold as the snow that surrounded the temple. In fact the air closer to the building itself felt a touch warmer, and Dmitri figured it was from the glowing orbs of light rotating on top of the spires.

He looked at Irena, who looked back at him with a look of fear in her eyes. She was obviously remembering what her father had said about this place when she was a chick, that she should do everything in her power to avoid it. She also knew that she had to do this, for everyone's sake. Dmitri understood that, and realized that they were surprisingly in tune with each other for only having truly really met a few days ago.

There was always the nagging doubt that this wasn't going to work, though. Edgar was the bird that had just saved his life and he had no reason not to trust him, but the idea of something exterminating every single human being from the planet in one go was pretty farfetched. Dmitri found himself hoping that it would actually work, that there was a chance he could save his mother's life.

Wherever she was, he knew she was still alive. If he could eliminate the hunters that wanted to sell her, she'd be able to survive. Maybe she'd make her way back to Antarctica, or maybe Dmitri would have to go out and find her. The world was big, but how far could a trio of hunters go in only a few days?

"This place is incredible up close," Irena gawked, breaking the green-eyed penguin from his thought. "Who do you suppose built it?"  
>Edgar shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. It's here to house the Sun, though, and it does a damn good job of that."<p>

"I'll say," offered Dmitri. "Kind of scary. So, now that we're here, what's next?"

"We've got to get the doors open," Edgar explained, "but for that to happen we have to wait for the next sunrise. The sun has to be at a good angle for us to direct streams of light from all three columns onto the door. Then it will open and we will be able to proceed."

Dmitri nodded, not sure of any other way to get into the massive structure. The last thing he wanted to do right now was wait, considering each passing moment meant the emperors in the human's clutches would be taken further and further from them.

Edgar glanced up at the horizon, and pointed out that it was already beginning to turn a dull gray, signifying that morning was only a short ways off. "Good thing you two had us book over here. We won't have long to wait."

"This whole thing is kind of crazy, isn't it Dmitri?" Irena asked quietly a few moments later when Edgar had gone to inspect one of the three massive columns standing outside the door. It looked like it could have weighed a ton, but the bird seemed to be able to rotate it with ease.

"Yeah," the penguin agreed, "but which part of it? The temple itself or the idea of getting rid of all of the humans?"  
>"Both, I suppose," the female returned. "Its just crazy to think that something like this exists in our world, you know what I mean?"<br>Dmitri glanced up to the female and saw her looking at him with her gray eyes shimmering. The color of them matched the early morning sky above them perfectly. "It's strange that your dad never wanted any of the other emperors to see this," he said.

Irena nodded. "This place terrified him, but I still don't know for sure why. Its big, but it doesn't seem all that scary to me."

"Maybe there's something we're not seeing here," Dmitri wondered. "Like what if this place has something to do with the massacre of the original Penguin City inhabitants?"

Dmitri expected the female emperor to shoot down his theory, but instead he was surprised when she said, "I wouldn't doubt it."

"Yeah?"  
>"If this place really has the power to eliminate all of the humans in one go, it makes sense that they might have been fighting over it."<p>

Dmitri nodded. He still didn't know what they could have been fighting, but the idea was at least possible. Still, the idea of nearly one thousand penguins taking up arms and fighting for a common cause other than the defense of the flock didn't seem very logical to him. Logicality was something he needed throw out the window right now if he was going to believe that this artifact might actually do what Edgar said it would, so he at least considered it.

Irena continued, "Just crazy to think that, if this thing works, our problems could have been solved ages ago."

Edgar nodded, then silence befell the two for a few moments. Edgar's mind drifted to the sleep-bringing drugs wielded by the humans and he suddenly realized he never really thanked Irena for staying by his side while he was knocked out.

"Hey, Irena," he began.

"Yeah?"  
>"When I was unconscious after those hunters shot me with their darts, why did you stick with me?"<p>

Surprisingly the emperor eyes flashed like she was uncomfortable and she averted her eyes to the ground, twiddling her flippers. "I took the oath too, you know, to help your fellow penguin whenever possible."

Dmitri raised a brow. "You were the only one there, though. Why's that?"

"The others stopped by, but they didn't stay around long. I figured they were tending to their own children and accounting for their own losses, so I didn't bother them about it."

"Exactly," said Dmitri, "and you still stayed by me."

"I... err," she stuttered like she was unsure of how to respond. Dmitri didn't understand why, it was such a simple question. Why had she chosen to sleep by his side, in that chair rather than in her own home? She opened her mouth, but was cut off by Edgar calling from the giant door to the structure.

"You two should probably learn how to rotate these correctly before the sun comes up. If we miss our chance, we'll have to wait a full twenty four hours to try again," he explained.

Irena looked relieved to be summoned, and immediately began waddling away from Dmitri. The bird placed a flipper on her shoulder though, and she froze. Dmitri was extremely curious as to why she was acting this way, but he figured now was not the time to keep pestering her.

Instead, he offered, "Just wanted to say thanks for being there."

Irena turned back to him, brushing his flipper off of her shoulder. "Of course," she returned, smiling, "you would have done the same thing if it was me."

Dmitri smiled back, feeling as though he would have been right by her side if she needed it. That was strange, considering he hardly knew who she was up until a few days ago.

It must have been the oath he took at the coming of age ceremony, he thought. After all, it was what made him feel the need to come here in the first place and chase this ancient artifact in hopes that it would rescue the rest of the emperors.

One thing was certain as they walked towards Edgar, ready to possibly end the lives of billions of humans in one go. That was the fact that he was glad she was with him.


	15. A Plan of Surveillance

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 14 – A Plan of Surveillance <strong>

** THE LARGE MAN SAT ON HIS COUCH, LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW IN FRONT OF HIM.**

He didn't use his living room much, and as such many of the surfaces were coated in dust. The couch he sat on now groaned under his weight as he leaned his face forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands. He glanced up at the painting on the wall near the room's entrance. On it was painted a house on the top of a barren hill with an endless blue sky. He hated it; it was ugly. It did a good job of covering up the secret access to his tunnels, though.

On the coffee table in front of him were several devices, ranging from cameras to laser trip wires to microphones, laid out to display to Mr. Green. The business man insisted to see the hardware X was going to be using to protect the penguins, and as such, X had no choice to let him come into his home and inspect the equipment.

He hated the businessman at this point. He was sly and X didn't like it. The last thing he wanted to do was let Andrew Green into his home, but he knew it was going to be worth it for access to the Cyclopes Invisible Eye System.

Nearby X stood an ancient looking television, and on the screen the wispy-haired reporter was telling a story. "...and now in a developing story," the man began, "PETA representatives have said that they have lost contact with the research party that was sent to Antarctica to document the penguins their in order to protect them from the recent poaching spree. The spokeswoman said that it is likely that the group went rouge in order to capture the flightless birds for themselves, and PETA is doing everything in their power in order to find and apprehend them. Apologizing profusely, the spokespeople announced that, when found, the researchers will be tried as fugitives.

"In other news, the previously found reasoning behind the two weeks the Earth stop rotating in 2007 have been proven false by a group of physicists in Europe. They say that is unlikely the Earth's core stopped rotating only to be jump started by a nuclear explosion, as that would cause a collapse of the Earth's magnetic field. From iron particles in rocks they have determined that the magnetic field was still present during the time the Earth was not rotating, but seemed to have lost polarity..."

Officer X flicked the television off, not wanting to hear what the stupid scientist thought. He actually didn't know why he listened to the news anymore, they never had anything super useful to say. Always the same things from day to day. He heard Chuck Charles announce things as the number of murders from the previous day, and then transition into a segment designed to find homes for stray dogs and cats. The only reason he ever listened to it was to see if the president had been assassinated yet or not, but that was never the case.

He sat in quiet for some time, which is something he found himself doing more and more as he grew older. Solitude was something he enjoyed, surprisingly. Even though he had constructed his fortress by hand and collected enough weapons to equip a small army, he didn't consider himself a busy body. Sometimes sitting in a quiet, still room and looking out the window was all he needed to do.

Then he saw the limousine pull up to the curb outside the house, and grimaced. A stout man in a business suit stepped out, mouthing something to driver as he did so. X hoped he was telling him that it wasn't going to take long, as he didn't want to spend any more time than he had to with the corporate scum.

He walked over to the door and opened it quickly before Mr. Green even had a chance to knock. The man smiled, his eyes gleaming up in the morning sun towards the large man. "Hello, Mr. Xanthopoulos," he said warmly.

X gritted his teeth immediately, wondering how in the hell this man got his name. Resiting the urge to punch him and slam the door, he beckoned him inside. He lead him towards the living room, and without saying a word, gestured to the many devices laying on the table.

"Interesting," Andrew pondered as he picked up one of the cameras. "I haven't seen anything like this in at least ten years. Is it an antique?"

The burly man leaned back against the wall behind him, crossing his arms. He lowered his brow at the businessman, noticing the corners of the wide man's mouth moving up as he did so. "It ain't antique," he argued, "it's a CPX2800. It captures full motion video and audio, activates when it detects motion, and it can record in pure darkness with infrared vision."

"Ah yes, the CPX," nodded Mr. Green, turning the camera over in his hands. "For a while I relied on these until I realized how faulty they were. Did you know they only have the ability to record thirty minutes of live video before the old video starts being overwritten? I lost a couple of important targets once because a bird decided to make a nest right in front of one of the cameras."

"You ain't used it right. You need to use it in coordination with one of those lasers over there to get double motion coverage," X explained as he nodded to the set of electric eyes on the table.

"Tried it," said Mr. Green. "The perpetrators just used some flour to reveal the lasers, then stepped over them. Red light lasers are very old, now a days. You must have some ultraviolet ones around here somewhere, don't you?"  
>X honestly had no idea what an ultraviolet laser was. Even so, he couldn't let the tycoon giant know that he didn't so he only offered, "Been searching for them for a while. Nothing yet."<p>

Andrew smiled. "You can get them down at your local science store."

X really, really wanted to punch the man in the face right now. His mocking tone coupled with his belligerent words were digging right under the big man's skin, and he hated it. He knew corporate types were always like this, never changing. They knew how to move people, even if that meant pissing them off to no return. He took a deep breath, knowing that Andrew was not going to get his way.

"Red lasers have never not worked," he countered.

"Actually I see where you're coming from. The CPX, red laser combo has never failed me either in the event that I was chasing people."

X raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"These penguins you'll be watching," Andrew began, taking a deep breath, "they're not like any of the people you're used to spying on. They're crafty, quick, small, and very intelligent. You'll need a lot more than just motion detector cameras and laser eyes to keep track of them."

X couldn't help but laugh at the idiotic statement. "How do flightless birds overcome what no human has ever outsmarted?"

"About a year ago when I first started trying to survey these penguins, I thought the same thing. I put some of my weakest equipment there, and saw nothing after several weeks. Some of my equipment even was found broken, so I had some better equipment installed. Still, nothing. It wasn't until the installation of the CIES that I actually got something. You're going to need to stay two steps ahead of them if you even want to keep up with them."

"I have got some of the heat sensors from the Pentagon in the basement," X announced, showing that he wasn't intimidated. "Unless they can mask their body heat, they're not going to get away from those."

"Tried it, and it failed. They put some ice on the sensor, and that point the only thing that could set it off was the blaze they set to destroy it on their way back," countered the stout man, pushing his glasses up his nose.

X didn't believe at word of it. How could a bunch of penguins be so smart to not only realize that the device was body heat sensitive, but then know what to do about it? At least one of them must have had some sort of training, he thought, if it were to be true. Some person or group of people must have went out of their way to educate the birds so they would know what to do in the situation. So they would know how to avoid all sorts of surveillance equipment. So they could get around the tightest security, and get straight at a target planned by the people who educated them.

A target like the President. That's when it hit him.

The tall bird, the clipboard, how it had bolted from him. It was one of the birds from the extremist socialist party's research center. The one he had stormed those ten long years ago with his team on direct orders from the secret service. It had been an underground operation; they were attempting to train penguins and dolphins to be accomplished assassins. The whole idea was stupid, but the nation's security was threatened by it. So Officer X went in to clean up the mess.

The bird. He knew he saw it that day. It was holding the same clipboard, looking up at him with extreme fear when he gunned down one of the dolphins. After all, he had been ordered that nobody involved, not even the animals, were allowed to survive. That bird had gotten away from him, though. Escaped out a back door. And now they were brought together again.

This realization showed him one important thing. That was that Alice and this rotten businessman were not lying about these birds. They were definitely capable of outsmarting even some of his best surveillance equipment, and he knew they would go to extreme lengths to do so. He wondered if they would crazy enough to attack him; but then upon feeling the handle of his gun on his belt, he knew it wouldn't be an issue.

He knew that he would need a lot more than the motion detector camera and the electric eyes to track these birds though. The ironic thing was, however, that he wasn't tracking them to finish the job from all those ages ago. He didn't care very much about the tall bird anymore, to be honest. Everyone had forgotten about the whole ordeal. He just wanted to get his hands on the CIES, and if that meant protecting the penguin he had once been instructed to kill, he knew he would do it.

"...sometimes they would even put garbage can lids in front of the camera, like they were playing practical jokes," chuckled Mr. Green, and X realized that the man had been telling a story for some time. The large man nodded and smiled slightly, trying to play off the fact that he had been ignoring him.

"So do you understand why we need to use the best technology available to us now?" Mr. Green asked.

X nodded, "Mmhmm."

"And since you don't seem to be properly equipped, you're welcome to use..." the large man's voice trailed off as X flipped up the painting of the house on the hill next to him and revealed a small, red button inset into the wall.

Honestly, the ex-agent was tired of Andrew's constant mocking, and he was done with it. He was going to show the man that he was more than capable of monitoring these birds, even if one of them happened to be a trained assassin—bird, thing. He wasn't going to be outsmarted by the penguins anytime soon.

X smashed his massive fist on the button, immediately causing the couch to upturn on its back and an elevator to rise out of the ground. That one he hadn't installed himself, he needed help from one of his engineer friends back at the academy. It was a reliable way to the tunnels, and far better than the stairs. After all, he didn't feel like walking the mile-long trek only listening to Andrew's babble.

"Impressive," the stout man said. "Where does that go?"  
>"Hop on and I'll show you," X instructed.<p> 


	16. An Unstoppable Weapon

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 15 – An Unstoppable Weapon**

**"A LITTLE TO THE LEFT. COME ON, WE DON'T HAVE LONG."**

Edgar's instructions came quickly, one right after the other. Dmitri rotated his column as best as he could, not even caring how in the world he was turning the massive sculpture that could have weighed tons. Eventually he found the sweet spot on the door, a carved image of the sun on the dead center of the door. Edgar and Irena's strands of light from their own pillars were already there, and when the sunlight from Dmitri's column reached the spot, it began to glow.

The penguin took a step back, wondering what could be happening. A few seconds later the light from each column faded away and the sun carving grew almost blinding. Dmitri shielded his eyes from the piercing white light as it seemed to engulf him like nothing he had ever seen before. He wondered for a moment if what he was actually looking at was real, or just a result of his imagination playing tricks on him. After all, he could still be laying on his ice bed, out cold from the tranquilizer.

That idea was proven wrong as Edgar said, "Good, it hasn't changed a bit." The light had faded, leaving them standing in front of the door just like they were before.

Dmitri turned to Irena, who had jumped behind her pillar in a defensive nature. She smiled akwardly when she noticed the penguin looking at her, and stepped out from behind the column. The three penguins looked up at the massive door as they came to life, grinding across the rock below them. The action itself made the ground shake a little bit, and Dmitri found himself grabbing onto Irena to keep his balance. Or maybe she was grabbing onto him. Either way, the sight took his breath away.

"Good, good," continued Edgar. "We're in."

Dmitri looked into the opening, but the difference in light from the rising Sun made it hard to see much. "What will be in there?" he asked.

"Not much. Maybe a lot of dust," returned the scientist bird, looking solemn. "Chances are there will be a few traps, but nothing too dangerous. Just listen to me no matter what and we'll be fine."

"Traps?" exclaimed Irena suddenly. "What do you mean, traps?"

"The temple will try to split us up, get us separate, drive us to desperation. My best guess is that it was built that way as some sort of defense against anyone coming after the artifact inside, but who knows. Just keep alert and listen to me and we'll be fine. If we do get split up, just keep walking down the hallways. We'll all meet up again eventually," Edgar explained, slinging his pack over his back once more.

Dmitri nodded towards Irena. He couldn't help but notice she looked a little uneasy. To be honest he was as well, after seeing what had happened just to get the doors to the place open. For a moment the thought crossed Dmitri's mind to run away from this place and try to get back to the Penguin City. After all, they had only promised Edgar that they would help him get the doors open. It was plausible he thought.

He thought about what Banar had told Irena about this place as he contemplated running away. The chieftain must have had a good reason to keep it so secret from all of the emperors for so long. Maybe it was a good idea to let sleeping secrets stay asleep, he thought. They could go back to the city, and try to continue life like they always have. Hiding from the hunters, fishing for food, that kind of stuff.

"Are you two still coming?" came Edgar's voice, but Dmitri ignored it.

Running was really tempting. He communicated his new idea with Irena with a simple nod towards the horizion. He acknowledged that she understood as she looked out at the rising sun, the light glistening off of her eyes. Dmitri wondered what she was thinking about. Was she contemplating if this was worth it? Killing all of the humans? Possibly dieing in a trap?

She suddenly reached out and grabbed Dmitri's flipper as she looked back at him. Her brow was lowered slightly and Dmitri noticed a distinct look of determination on her face. The emperor gently squeezed his flipper before letting go and nodding back towards the temple.

The squeeze. It had been such a small motion, such a small act of communication, but it had told Dmitri volumes. He realized instantly that there would be nothing to return home to if they didn't at least try to use the artifact. The hunters were never going to stop, and though they could hide for a long time, they wouldn't hide forever. Everyone was eventually going to be captured, there was no way around that. They'd all be abducted. This mysterious Sun, with its ability to eradicate all human life from the planet, and the strange penguin carrying the backpack, leading them to it were their only two hopes. If this didn't work, they wouldn't have anything left. If they gave up, they'd have even less. At least nothing except the grief they could share between each other. That was only until one of them was abducted.

Dmitri nodded, and Irena smiled. Such a small gesture, such a large act of communication. It reminded Dmitri of how his mother used to try to smooth his unruly feathers. It never worked, but it had a calming effect on the bird.

"Sorry, we're coming," Irena returned finally, and Edgar nodded.

"Good, because we're on a time limit," he explained, "These doors will close again after a while and trap us inside. It'll be more than enough time if we just head straight to the antechamber, where the Sun is, but we need to get moving."

The group moved into the temple. The first thing Dmitri noticed was how warm it was. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. It almost made him uncomfortable after being used to living in subzero temperatures for pretty much his entire life. That was a strange thought, considering how much he hated the cold. Normally this heat would be welcoming to him. Maybe it was because of what he was here to do, to essentially commit mass murder. No, not murder, he thought. Self defense.

Dmitri looked around him as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he noticed the inside of the temple was lined with the exact same tile as the outside. It coated every surface, even the floor. It was that eerie material that wasn't reflective and yet didn't seem to be completely opaque. The only other thing in the hallway they entered was a series of blue-flamed torches that extended down into the distance. It provided a dim light. Dmitri had only ever seen actual fire a few times before in his life, but he still wasn't interested. At this point fire was the least of his worries.

"Hold on a minute," Edgar said and they stopped. The bird waddled over and Dmitri noticed there were several pieces of cloth laying on the ground, along with a few small boxes of something that the penguin didn't recognize. Edgar grabbed the cloth in his flippers and twisted it. "Someone else was here recently," he concluded.

"So?" Irena asked.

Edgar turned to her, still holding the piece of cloth. "There are only a handful of other animals in the world that know about this place, and for all I know, no humans. There are a few penguins I knew at one point who strove to return to this place, but that was years ago."

"So they came back here at one point, but they're not here now," explained the female emperor.

Edgar looked down at the cloth, twisting it in his flippers like he was uncomfortable. Dmitri could only think that he must not have gotten along with the penguins he was talking about. "I'm not sure. They could be, or maybe they've been gone for years and they just forgot this."

"I'm sure nobody is here," Irena affirmed. "My dad said nobody ever came to this place, anyway."

"Your father was very wrong, then," returned the black-beaked penguin. Irena gave Dmitri an uncomfortable look at the scientist's words.

"Come on," he said, "if this thing is extremely powerful, there must have been other penguins after it at some point."

Edgar nodded. "They were definitely after it. I was actually once working with a corrupt penguin who wanted to use it to conquer the world. He wanted to wage war on the humans, and so did I at that point. He was so hellbent on accomplishing it that he slaughtered an entire city of penguins just to get back at one of the only penguins that tried to stop him. Actually, come to think of it, the city where you live now is the city he destroyed about three years ago."

"What?" Dmitri exclaimed, suddenly tense. He could only referencing the massacre that had killed his mother and possibly his father. Had this penguin been involved in the matter? "What do you mean?"

Edgar blinked towards the penguin, his solid red eyes suddenly scanning the bird up and down. Dmitri got the distinct feeling that the older bird was suddenly trying to find him in his memories. "I was wondering why you were living with the emperors when you're obviously not one of them," he said. "Forget I said anything."

Dmitri jumped forward, his flippers balled into fists. "No, tell me what you know about what happened at the Penguin City!"

Edgar's face was blank as a sudden silence fell between the two birds, only the sound of Dmitri's echo meeting their ears. The disheveled penguin stared back at the scientist, his green eyes bouncing back and forth between the red ones. "Are you going to tell me or not?" he growled.

"No," Edgar said, simply.

Dmitri only felt rage rising in his throat at the penguin. Even though the bird standing across from him now had saved his life only a few days ago, he wanted nothing more than to force the words out of him. Edgar knew what had happened; maybe he was even the bird behind it. Maybe Edgar Blackbeak was the one who had slaughtered his biological mother and all of his friends. The thought only increased Dmitri's anger and he let an angry grunt escape his beak.

"Why not?" he growled.

Edgar pulled on the straps of his backpack, hesitating for a minute. "What happened in the past is the past. If I tell you, you're going to let it change you. Right now you and I both know we need to focus on the matter at hand—saving your family and friends. Just know that I am not the penguin who did it, it was the penguin I was working for."

That explanation did not satisfy Dmitri in the slightest. "Tell me what happened!" he shouted, marching closer to Edgar. He felt Irena's flipper tap his shoulder, but he ignored it. His eyes were still focused on the black-beaked penguin in front of him. He was determined to force the story out of him, no matter what it would take. This penguin knew where he came from, who he was, what the Penguin City was like before the emperors moved in.

He stopped with his beak only a few inches from Edgar's. The older penguin didn't even flinch as Dmitri shook slightly, staring him down. "Alright, if you want it so badly I'll tell you," he said, throwing his flippers up and taking a few steps away from Dmitri.

Dmitri took a deep breath, relieved.

"So this penguin I was working for, his name was Caspian Fishslader," Edgar began. "He heard about the Sun from... who knows where one day, then asked me if I wanted to form a Penguin Army to take the Sun and power a large facility with it. The idea was that the humans would fight each other in the meantime, and they would eliminate each other entirely. Kind of funny, considering that the Sun might have the ability to do that much more easily anyway.

"So we did it. He went around the globe for a year or so collecting penguins for his army from everywhere and sending them to the Penguin Base. Meanwhile, I was designing and building the facility. Everything was fine until one day three penguins decided to rebel.

"Their names were Manfredi, Johnson, and Skipper. This journal is actually Johnson's," he shook the journal slightly to show its significance. "Thank goodness they did, too, otherwise there would probably be massive wars going on right now. They showed me what was wrong with Caspian's plan, at least.

"Now Manfredi came from your city, at least before it was destroyed. When Caspian found out that it was Manfredi's hometown, he immediately set a course straight through the place to burn it to the ground. Not a penguin survived, apparently."

"Except me," interjected Dmitri.

"Except you," repeated Edgar. "I can't believe he did it, and I didn't actually find out about it to much later. He had attacked the city just because he was trying to set an example of what happens to penguins who went traitorous. Trying to get his men some action and also terrify them."

Dmitri processed the bird's story as his words trailed off with the failing echo of the hallway. He couldn't believe it. Irena's wacky theory had been correct. His group of penguins, the original inhabitants of the Penguin City had really died as a result of war. Other penguins on a quest to take over the world, essentially. He was the only one left out of all of them.

"So now that you know, can we get on with what we're doing here?" Edgar asked.

Dmitri blinked, wondering about what had been said. He was actually surprised that it wasn't humans that had killed all of those penguins three years ago. It gave him a new sense of doubt about what he was here to do. Maybe there were bad people in the world, but there were also bad penguins. Penguins that would be willing to slaughter thousands of other penguins for the simple cause of pleasing their corrupt leader.

Irena tapped his shoulder again, and this time he turned around. She looked concerned as she said, "You still want to do this?"  
>Her eyes, glimmering in the faint blue torchlight, showed him that they still had to do this. Still had to at least try to wipe all human life from the planet. After all, the humans were a lot bigger threat than the idea of another army of penguins being formed. Her eyes were as subtle as the simple flipper squeeze she had given him before, but it spoke a thousand words.<p>

He nodded, and she smiled. She obviously didn't want to do this alone. Turning to Edgar he said, "Let's do this."

"Good," said Edgar, nodding. "We've still got a lot of walking ahead of us."

He couldn't have been more right. The tunnels went on and on for what seemed like forever. The only noise that greeted Dmitri's ears was the sound of their own feet contacting the black tiles underneath them. The only exciting thing that had happened was the floor dropping out beneath them in a large room just inside the entrance. Following Edgar's instructions, they slid down the resulting slope and safely landed at the bottom.

When they got to the bottom, they found more evidence of the penguins that were here before them. A simple, penguin-sized backpack. Dmitri picked it up, not bothering to look through it, and strapped it on his back. The penguins who left it here obviously didn't need it anymore, and he figured it would be useful to have later.

Edgar acknowledged the backpack with a simple nod. Dmitri wondered why the penguin didn't want to look through it. Maybe it was because he already knew what was inside, he thought. Regardless, Dmitri was glad to have the backpack. Human made things like this were basically nonexistent in the Penguin City.

The pathway in front of them changed from what it had been before, however. Now It was lined with archways that were spaced evenly and extended to the ceiling as far as Dmitri could see. In addition to that, what looked like a metal door occasionally was placed between two arches. Edgar told them to ignore the doors, so he did. He wasn't particularly interested in exploring this place anyway. He was only here to do one thing, and had far too much on his mind.

He clutched the straps of his new found backpack, thinking about what Blackbeak had said. So far he had thought of no reason to doubt his words. After all, none of the emperors he ever talked to told him the full story. He thought it crazy that he wound up being the only survivor from the ordeal. If the Penguin Army had striven so hard to eliminate every single inhabitant of the city, how did he come away unscathed? Was it because he didn't hatch from his egg until after the whole ordeal was finished?

His mother had been killed, though. Right in front of him as a baby, according to what Melanda told him. He didn't remember much about his brief time with his deceased biological mother; he figured he was too young. He remembered one thing, and it still gave him nightmares sometimes. The blood running over his flippers. How the warmness of his mother's life-giving liquid had terrified him.

Even now the thought gave him chills. In the nightmares things were always exaggerated. Sometimes he'd run away from a tidal wave of blood, other times he'd be trapped in a boat in a sea of it. He hated the nightmares, and usually he'd wake up from them with chills, his regurgitated dinner coating his chest feathers. Maybe they weren't completely crazy, he thought. At least not any crazier than the idea of a Penguin Army slaughtering an entire civilization. Or for that matter, an artifact with the power to eliminate all of the people on the planet.

He gave his head a gentle shake to clear it, then looked at Irena. She was spinning her head all around, looking at the arches, torches, and doorways. It was obvious she was facinated, and Dmitri could only help but smile. When their eyes met, she looked shiny away from him.

The penguin with unruly feathers wondered what she was thinking about all of this. About the massacre, the Penguin Army, his origin. Maybe he'd ask her later, he thought.

For now they were approaching the end of the hallway. It was a welcome sight as they had been trotting along in silence for several hours, and Dmitri's legs were growing sore. As they approached, a room at the end of the tunnel came into view. From where he stood Dmitri couldn't see much except a glowing light in the center fading into view.

Then he smelled something foul. It was peculiar, he thought. For the most part the only smell had been that of the stagnant air around them, but this was sent was particularly sharp. It wasn't the worst thing had ever smelled, and wasn't very strong, but he knew it was something along the lines of rotting fish. Trying to breath quietly through his mouth to avoid the stench, which seemed to be growing stronger now, he looked at Edgar. The penguin was, surprisingly, waving his flippers in front of his face as to keep the smell away from his own nostrils.

"What's up with the smell?" Dmitri asked him as Irena too covered her beak. The smell was very powerful now.

Edgar shrugged. "Smells almost like natural gas, but there's none of that here."

"Natural gas?" Dmitri asked.

Edgar turned back towards Dmitri, walking backwards as he explained, "Yeah. It's this stinky stuff that the people use to..."

His voice trailed off as he saw Dmitri's sudden, fearful expression. Dmitri's face had gone completely blank, his eyes wide open. Dmitri felt his his beak drop open but immediately closed it as the stench left a foul taste on his tongue. He had never seen anything like what was laying in the center of the antechamber before him.

It explained where the stench was coming from.

Laying in the center of the room, near the glowing light, were three bodies. Penguin bodies, from what Dmitri could tell. One was sprawled right near the glowing light, and the two others were on opposite sides of it. He couldn't make out much from his current distance, but he knew they were dead. Dead for a long time by the looks of it. From the glow of the light in the middle of the room he could see the whiteness of bones peaking out between gaps in the rotting flesh and feathers of each body.

"What the hell?" Edgar said.

Dmitri turned to Irena, who he hadn't noticed was gagging. He gently patted her on the back as she wiped her watering eyes.

Edgar dropped his pack behind him, practically running to the center of the room. He hopped onto the raised platform that held the pedestal with the strange light and went straight to the penguin in the center. It had died leaned forward on the strange creation in front of it, its flippers looking like they were still grasping onto it for support. The white, bony one was wrapped around the base of the pillar. Its other one, which Dmitri saw looked to be made of metal, was resting on the top, just inches from the strange, orange light.

The red-eyed penguin grimaced as he looked down at the decaying bird. Dmitri was glad he was standing all the way on the other side of the room and not where he was. The smell was bad enough over here, and he wasn't particularly interested in inspecting postmortem penguins. Neither was Irena, as she struggled to keep herself from vomiting.

"What the hell," Edgar only repeated as he reached down and grabbed the metal flipper. With a sickening crack it he snapped it off of the dead body, and what could only be described as decaying slime dripped from its base. Dmitri felt his stomach do a back flip and he had to press a flipper to his beak to keep himself from barfing. He was glad Irena wasn't looking.

"What's wrong?" he asked after Edgar inspected the flipper for a few moments.

"This penguin," he said, simply. "I knew him."

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong> So a lot more happened in this chapter than I was intending, and it went kind of fast. I hope the gore at the end didn't make anyone sick!

I haven't thanked reviewers in a while, so I'll do that there. Super huge thank yous to **Hipturtle15**, **Fishy716**, **Asmith137**, **TheSkySpiritsTalentShow**, GoTeamSkipper, **XxPenguinSoldierxX**, and **Sweety Kneul**for the wonderful reviews! You guys are the best!

With that out of the way, I should let you know that I've finally got around to drawing the cover art for this story. It's on my DeviantArt (Cudabear) if you'd like to check it out!


	17. A Means to an End

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 16 – A Means to an End**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

Dmitri asked the question through his flipper. He still had it clenched over his nostrils to prevent the burning scent of decaying flesh from entering them. Dmitri wondered how Edgar was putting up with the smell so easily, looking over the top of the dead, liquefied penguin.

"This penguin's name was Manfredi," offered Edgar simply.

Dmitri immediately thought back to the red-eyed penguin's story about the Penguin Army. Manfredi was one the group Edgar had mentioned rebelled in order to try to protect the city, but they failed. Manfredi had been one from his city though, before the massacre. That thought instantly filled him with curiosity, and though he wasn't particularly interested in going near the dead bodies, he felt like he wanted to inspect the penguin closer up. Maybe it had some clue on it of what happened that left three dead penguins laying here, at least. He tapped Irena on the shoulder, who glanced up at him. Her eyes were watering and Dmitri could tell she wasn't going to be getting any closer. It was up to him, he thought as he hopped up on the center, raised platform.

"My God," Edgar mumbled as he inspected the flipper. "I knew this was going to happen, but why here?"

Dmitri stopped a few feet from the penguin leaned up against the center pillar. He paid no attention to the glowing orb floating over it; he was far more interested in this bird that could have been from his city. Maybe part of the society he had been born into before he was adopted by the emperors. He grimaced as he looked at the decaying body. It was mostly bones at this point, with a few patches of feathers clinging here and there. Underneath the skeleton was a puddle of thick soup. Liquid that had once been living flesh. Dmitri gagged suddenly as the stench became too strong. He tried to regain control of his lungs as Edgar walked to one of the other bodies.

Immediately he bent over and picked up what looked like a twisted, rusty dagger. It was coated in dried blood as Edgar held it up into the light. Edgar twisted it over his head for a bit, inspecting the blue cloth tied around its handle before looking down at the bird skeleton below him. Surprisingly, he smiled as he said, "Looks like you finally got what was coming to you, you son of a bitch."

Dmitri wiped some water from his eyes as he looked at the bird. Edgar didn't seem to have any respect for the departed as he kicked the bird's skull and watched as it bounced off of the platform and onto the tiles with sickening crunches. Dmitri gave him a quizzical look as he turned back towards him, and Edgar shrugged.

"If you knew what he did, you would have done it too," he offered.

"Was that Caspian?" asked Dmitri.

"Yes," nodded Edgar. "Looks like he never stopped wanting to take over the world, that's for sure. He died right here, right before the Sun. Looks like Manfredi got here just in time to stop him."

Dmitri looked back towards the penguin that was from his hometown, and felt another shiver run up his back. The way the skeleton of a penguin was sprawled over the pedestal holding the glowing orb showed that his last action had been to protect it. Or, maybe he had been trying to use it. Dead penguins don't tell many stories, so it was possible.

"I don't know who that third bird is," Edgar explained, pointing to the last skeleton laying across the way. "Could have been Skipper, or one of Sarge's new henchmen if he got any."

The last penguin looked like it had been through a lot of trauma. Whereas the other two birds' skeletons had been perfectly intact, his its was clearly smashed in. Below it Dmitri could see the tiles had visible shards of bone locked between their cracks. He shivered once again, wondering what in the world could have happened here.

"Its a wonder Caspian ever got this close to the Sun again," Edgar said as though he was drifting off. "I knew he'd go for it again, but I was relying on Manfredi to stop him. Looks like that penguin really pushed it to the last minute."

"You sent Manfredi after him?" asked Dmitri.

"Well, more like he wanted to go after Caspian. I didn't force him into anything. Manfredi was wounded badly from an explosion that Caspian set to kill him. I was able to patch him up, giving him those metal parts. Then he promised me he was going to hunt down Caspian and kill him, no matter what the cost. Seems like he finally fulfilled that promise."

Dmitri tried to picture the birds fighting in here, swinging the dagger back and forth. He couldn't place the idea in his mind though. They had obviously been fighting over the Sun which was now floating in front of his face, but it didn't seem that special. Was it worth all three of these penguins' lives? For that matter, was it worth the thousand that had been killed at the Penguin City?

"Anyway, enough dwelling on the past. What's done is done, no changing it now," Edgar said. "You should probably use the Sun to wipe the globe clean, now."

The green-eyed penguin had totally forgotten what they were here to do. The anxiety from the idea of murdering billions of people in one go returned to him. He grew doubtful again. Was this really going to work? If it was going to work, did he really want to do this? Was the lives of billions of humans worth more than that of a few emperor penguins?  
>Yes, it was, Dmitri convinced himself. As far as he was concerned, all humans were evil, vile, corrupt murderers. Even those researchers, the ones Edgar had told him were here to rescue them from the hunters, had attacked them. The memory of the researchers scooping up the baby penguins in the square flooded back into Dmitri's mind and he gained a sense of urgency. The longer he waited, the further the captured penguins were getting away from home. If he waited too long, they go too far away to return safely.<p>

Too far away. By now his mother and Banar would have to be miles and miles from the mainland. If this worked, was there any possible way he would be able to track them down and find them? He hoped so.

"How does it work?" he asked the black-beak penguin, who nodded solumnly.

"It's quiet simple, according to these notes. All you have to do is take the Sun off of this pedestal and place it on the platform higher up."

Edgar gestured to another pedestal on the second of three platforms. Each platform had its own pedestal on it, in ascending order. Dmitri glanced towards the glowing orb, realizing now that it seemed to be contained in some sort of see-through container. It didn't seem to be too important, just a light inside of a case. These three penguins had died fighting over it, though.

Dmitri nodded back towards Edgar. "Be quick when you do it, too. Bad things will happen if you leave it off the pedestals too long."

Dmitri nodded once again, then walked towards the glowing orb. His fear of the dead penguins and knowledge of the scent filling the air had vanished, replaced by new determination to actually go through with this plan. He didn't know why he suddenly had such faith that this was actually going to work, but it pushed him forward.

As he approached the mysterious orb, he felt a strange feeling flow through him. It was like the energy was drawing him closer, encouraging him to take it. He tried to clear his mind, blinking a few times. He reached out to the canister, reaching over the dead bird in front of him. A bird from his city.

A bird that died replacing what he was about to remove.

He froze, suddenly having second thoughts. The robotic penguin below him died defending this thing, and his entire society had been exterminated because of it. He was the only one still alive as a result of it, and that made him realize that he wanted nothing to do with it. It had caused the dead penguin named Caspian to kill his mother and possibly his father. It was more than he wanted to mess with, even if it meant saving the emperors.

Irena had a different idea in mind. Dmitri thought she was standing over by the entrance, but now she was standing across the pillar from him. She reached out quickly and grabbed the mysterious, floating container from the pedestal and pulled in into her flippers. Dmitri opened his beak to try to get her to put it back, but before he could a massive shock wave rolled through his body.

It was like nothing he had ever felt before. The shaking was so intense that Dmitri immediately dove to the floor, afraid the ceiling was going to collapse on top of him. It continued for only a few seconds, but Dmitri felt like it could have been hours. When it finally subsided, he looked up from the ground to see Irena's face washed, holding onto the pillar for support.

She had dropped the canister, and it was slowly rolling away from her feet. Dmitri pulled himself off the ground; he knew that messing with this artifact, whatever the hell it was, had been a bad idea. He dashed over to scoop it off the ground, but was surprised when Irena scooped it back into her flippers before he got there. He reached for it, suddenly fearful for what else it might do.

He fell forward as Irena dodged him. He landed hard on his face, stunned for a minute at what had just happened. He looked up and saw her walking, no, running towards the second column.

"Oh no," he mumbled to himself, suddenly very afraid. This was a bad idea and he was sure of it.

Irena already placed the Sun onto its new resting place like it was a live explosive. The pedestal seemed to accept the artifact, and the canister levitated into the air a bit just like it had been before. Moments later, it began to rise higher into the air at a steady pace, rotating slowly and growing brighter. Soon it became too bright for Dmitri to look at, so he looked back down at Irena. The female emperor was staring at him, her face washed with fear. Surprisingly, she mouthed, "I'm sorry."

The Sun had reached the height of its ascent, and it stopped for a moment. The light it was emitting was now so bright that the entire room was bathed in white. Dmitri shielded his eyes from it, hoping that was all it was going to do.

He was wrong. Moments later, powerful waves rolled through his frame as the Sun's container twisted itself open. They were strong enough not only to make his beak and vision jitter, but to all out knock him back a few inches. He braced himself, but each wave became more powerful and they increased in frequency. He lost the battle and went flying backwards, pushed by the immense power.

He struggled to grab onto something, but his flippers only found the slippery, black tile. He fell off of the platform, sliding back as each wave rocked his form. He was beginning to wonder if this was it for him, if the Sun was going to kill them all. His feet found the wall of the antechamber and he braced himself against it.

What had they done?

* * *

><p>Private waved to a small, brown-haired girl who was poking her head through the bars of the penguin habitat. Her braces reflected some of the evening sun back at him as he did a little waddle dance for her, making her laugh. She clapped joyfully as her father came up behind her and tapped her shoulder, signaling that the zoo was closing.<p>

Private waved to her one last time as she faithfully followed her father out of the zoo. Entertaining the guests, particularly the kids, was something he really enjoyed. Even with everything going on, from his fights with Kowalski to the Sun's prophesy, entertaining was still fun. It helped him get his mind off of everything that was going on and just be silly for a while.

He was thankful that he at least still could. Briefly he wondered how long it would be before he went completely mad and not even dancing for the children would please him. Shaking his head gently, he sat back on the concrete and looked towards the failing sunlight.

It had been mostly an uneventful day, and for that Private was somewhat thankful. His fear this morning about something bad happening had been misplaced. For the entire day he had been entertaining the guests, the sun shining down on him as he did so. It was a good day, he thought, even though Kowalski and Skipper had spent the majority of it downstairs discussing how they were going to deal with that dark man who was supposed to be the new security guard.

Private tapped his foot on the ground happily, smiling. It was a good day—something that he hadn't had in far too long.

He heard the fishbowl hatch open behind him and he turned to, surprisingly, see Kowalski. The tall bird was awkwardly holding his clipboard as he made his way onto the surface. He pretended to not notice Private, but sat next to him regardless. The tall bird flipped through a few pages of his clipboard, acting like he was busy.

Private looked at him curiously, wondering what he was doing. He must have wanted to talk; why else would he come up here alone? Didn't the intellectual not trust him anymore? He was right as Kowalski spoke.

"Hey Private," he said.

"Hey Kowalski," the small bird returned. It was a start, thought Private. Maybe this was his chance to apologize to the tall bird.

"So, I wanted to talk to you about... some theories," Kowalski continued.  
>"Yeah?"<br>"Yeah. So, about your dreams—the ones where you converse with the Sun—if I'm not mistaken the entity told you that every human being on the planet was about to be absorbed?"

"That's what it told me at least," agreed Private. "It's all a bloody load of garbage, though. That couldn't happen in a million years, Skippah said so."

Kowalski flipped some pages over on his clipboard, nodding. "What if it is going to happen? Do you have an idea of when?"

"I 'unno," Private answered. "The Sun doesn't know much about dates. Kind of stupid, really." The questions were something that Private had already answered for Skipper, but at least Kowalski was talking to him again.

"Hmm," pondered the taller bird. "And its said _all_ humans would be vaporized?"

"Pretty much," Private returned. "Why do you ask?"  
>"No reason."<p>

"Oh."

The two birds sat together for a while after that, not saying a word. Private's mind went haywire trying to think of something to say that would help Kowalski forgive him so they could stop fighting. The only thing he could think of is the idea of himself attacking the intellectual that night in the HQ, though. This was going to be hard.

"Alice is here late," Private said, trying to break the ice. He pointed to the curly-haired zookeeper, who was tiredly locking the door of her office.

"Indeed. She works a lot more since she rescued us from Antartica," Kowalski agreed. He was calm in his response, and Private knew this could be going somewhere.

Alice walked up to the railing of their enclosure, resting her arms on it and leaning towards them. "We've got some new security coming in for the night shift," she told them. "His name is Officer X and he's pretty good at it so you guys shouldn't have much to worry about. Just leave him alone and he'll leave you alone too, got it?"

Private and Kowalski both cocked their heads curiously towards Alice. Was she talking about that dark man? His name was Officer X?

"Pfft," Alice said. "You guys are so smart yet you can't understand a word I say. Go figure."  
>With that she turned to walk away, fumbling with her keys. The moment she did, Private's scar pinged with intense pain. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. It hurt all the time now, but this was almost unbearable. He grunted loudly and fell back, holding a flipper to his face.<p>

His vision was blurry as he looked towards the sky. Kowalski's face appeared above him, but Private couldn't hear a word he was saying. His ears weren't ringing either, it was like all sound had just ceased to exist. He couldn't hear anything except his own thoughts and the pounding of his heart in his ears.

The next thing he saw was the sky turn from fiery orange to pure white above Kowalski. He figured it must have been the pain playing with his vision, but then he realized that wasn't the case. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. It was happening—the mass absorption.

Private sat bolt upright again, looking at the world become engulfed with the light. It was difficult to see anything, but he squinted and was just able to make out Alice's form. It was like she was frozen in time, still fumbling with her keys.

Private's heart dropped. Alice was human—she was going to get absorbed! He had to save her!

Without thinking, Private hopped up, took a few steps back and ran forward, launching himself just high enough to grab the railing with his flippers. Using it to pull himself up and over, he sprinted for Alice. It looked like she had begun to disintegrate, her form turning into tiny wisps of smoke as she faded into nothing.

Private heard nothing and saw only pure white as tried to latch onto Alice's pant leg, hoping that it would help her stay in this world. It was futile of course. After only a few seconds Private found himself clutching an empty pair of khaki pants. Alice was gone.

The light was gone too. The sound was back, though. He heard himself breathing heavily, heard Kowalski call from inside the penguin exhibit, heard confused talk all around him from the other animals in their exhibits. Even with that, it was abnormally quiet.

No cars, no traffic, no human chatter. Private realized that it had happened, the people were gone. He couldn't believe it as he stared down at Alice's clothes laying in a pile in front of him. He threw down the pant leg an waddled back to the HQ.

All of the humans gone, just like that. He wasn't sure what to think. That was, at least, until he saw Kowalski's stupid smile.


	18. A Sense of Insecurity

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 17 – A Sense of Insecurity<strong>

** PRIVATE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.**

Kowalski was actually smiling. Alice had just been vaporized, exterminated. Killed for all Private knew, and the tall bird was _smiling_. It wasn't just Alice either. If that white energy had been what the Sun was describing as the mass absorption, then all the humans were gone. Every single one of them, wiped off the face of the planet in an instant. Not a single human being would be left if it actually worked.

Then it hit Private. Kowalski was smiling because if it actually worked, that Officer X character would also be gone. The bird was smiling like that because he knew his problem had just been solved; Officer X was gone and he wouldn't have anything to worry about. He was happy for himself, not even thinking about the billions of people who had just vanished. Not thinking about any of the other animals or how they relied on the humans.

There was a professional bond between the animals and the zookeepers, particularly Alice, at the Central Park Zoo. Private was still shaken from seeing Alice disintegrate into nothing but a puff of smoke, but he was already thinking about what was going to happen. With no humans around, would they be able to survive? He shook his head and prepared to vault back over the fence.

The round bird landed in the pool with a splash and then pulled himself back onto the ice floe. Kowalski was still smiling that same, stupid smile. When Private locked eyes with him it vanished and he failed at putting on a frightened face. Both of them knew that Kowalski was very happy with what had just happened. Why else would the intellectual have asked so many questions about it only a few moments ago?

"What in the seven seas was that light?" Skipper asked, and Private saw him climbing up the ladder to the top of the headquarters. Rico followed and all four birds looked curiously at each other.

"It was the mass absorption, Skippah," Private explained, "like the Sun told me in my dream. All the humans are gone."

Skipper looked shocked as he gaffed, "Impossible."

"Improbable, actually" corrected Kowalski. "But Private and I just witnessed Alice appear to be vaporized as the light came and passed. Based on our previous observations of the Sun and what it is capable of, this mass absorption theory seems like the only logical conclusion."  
>The scientist folded his flippers behind his back, still holding his clipboard between them. Private glanced at it and saw a crudely drawn human with a bold X drawn over it. The sight of it made the smaller bird clench his beak—Kowalski had wished for this to happen.<p>

"Fish and chips," mumbled Skipper, looking a bit disgruntled. It wasn't like him to be so unsure of what to do. Then again, how would he have prepared for all the humans in the world to just vanish? Even if he had, he must still have been thinking about all the repercussions of such an event.

"It really happened, Skippah," Private said. He was beginning to feel a bit fearful. The fear mixed with the anger he was already feeling towards Kowalski and made him very uncomfortable.

"Uh," Skipper said, "Kowalski, analysis."

"I told you already," Kowalski returned, "The mass absorption..."

"No, I know that. Tell me about what this means. What are some things that could go wrong now that the people are gone?"

Private wondered for a minute why his leader was suddenly so believing that the mass absorption had actually happened. Was it because he had already worked with the Sun so much that he always knew it was possible, or was it because Alice's empty clothes laying on the concrete not far from them had proven it to him?

"Well," began the intellectual, "first things first: electricity. The humans use machinery to generate it, and without them running those machines, we're going to loose power within a few hours. Then we have the issue of food. There are sure to be a stockpile somewhere in the zoo, but Alice always ordered fresh food each day. Without the people delivering it, we're going to run out fairly quickly. Other than those two issues, I don't think anything else could go bad."

Private couldn't help but feel a little relief in his teammates words. They didn't need electricity to survive. And food wasn't an issue either—until recently, the penguins had been obtaining all of their fish by themselves anyway.

"Those are two big issues, Kowalski," analyzed the leader-penguin.

"Affirmative."

Private knew what happened the last time they had lost electricity. It was the result of a terrible storm, one that knocked out their power for several hours. For some reason the lights in the zoo and the devices many of the zoo animals used, such as the penguins' television, gave them some sort of calming effect. When they had lost power, many of the animals reverted to some sort of jungle law. They horded food in their habitats and fought with each other until the lights came on. Private could only imagine what would happen now. The lights were still on, Private noticed, but that couldn't be for much longer.

"Do you think we should call a zoo meeting, to tell the other animals whats going on?" Private suggested.

Skipper nodded. "We can't risk everyone fighting each other like the last time. We need to let everyone know whats going on so they can keep their cool. Don't tell them all the humans are gone, though. Tell them that Alice closed the zoo and that the city is just going to leave us alone in here."

"What?" exclaimed the small bird. "Why not tell them whats actually going on?"

"We, for one, saw this whole thing coming. They have no idea what any of this is about. Don't you think you'd go a little bonkers if you just found out that you were going to have no electricity and possibly even no food ever again?"

"C'mon, Skippah. Be reasonable," Private argued.

Skipper narrowed his eyes and the round bird regretted his statement. "I am being reasonable. We'll ease them into what happened later. For now, everyone split up and regroup at the Zoovenir."

Private nodded, though he still felt shaky. Were the animals really going to believe such a stupid story, that Alice had closed the zoo and the city had abandoned them? He couldn't help but feel that the story was going to push them closer to going crazy. Most of them had never been out of the zoo and actually seen the volume of people who lived in New York without visiting the zoo, so they might find it reasonable.

He saw Kowalski set his clipboard down and then vault gracefully over the fence, landing on the other side. Private shivered once more at the sight of Kowalski's drawing—there were more than just the one Xed off human. There was a group of them, all with big, black X's. Each seemed to be holding a gun in his hand. In the corner was what looked like a dolphin, with what looked like a halo over its head.

Private shook his head, realizing just how mentally unstable his friend truly was. Then he realized it—the people were not gone forever. The Sun had said Kowalski was going to be the one to save them by sacrificing himself. Private suddenly felt a little hopeful as he realized there was chance in the world to get the people back.

That hope was shattered, like so many times before, as Private thought about deeper about Kowalski. The tall bird seemed to be holding something against the humans, in addition to Private himself. There was no way he was going to sacrifice himself to save the people. Hell, Private didn't even know what he was supposed to do. The Sun hadn't explained.

Damn it. Why hadn't it explained that to him?

The small bird shook his head a bit, realizing that all of his teammates had gone off to warn the other zoo animals of the situation. He needed to focus on the task at hand. They couldn't handle an all out return to 'jungle law' on top of the humans vanishing. He sighed and then headed off towards Marlene and Julien's exhibit.

Skipper may not have wanted to tell any of the animals what was actually going on, but he was going to see to it that those two knew. After all, they had been in the antechamber that day—they knew what the Sun was capable of.

* * *

><p>Dmitri still had his eyes clenched tightly shut, his legs braced against the wall and his flippers pressed against the cold tile. Tile that now felt much colder. He hadn't realized that the bright light had faded and the pulsations had stopped until Edgar came and tapped him on the head.<p>

"You okay, kid?" He asked.

Dmitri blinked his eyes a few times before rubbing them. In the frenzy of what had just happened he had almost forgotten where he was. He accepted Edgar's outstretched flipper and got to his feet.

The green-eyed penguin looked around the antechamber, half expecting it to have been entirely destroyed by the Sun when it had risen into the air. It was intact, actually. The only thing that was different was the fact that the ball of energy known as the Sun was now floating freely above the middle pedestal. The pedestal had extended upwards a bit, spikes protruding from each of its four corners, sort of hugging in the energy that floated above it.

Behind the pedestal was what Dmitri could only describe as a portal of pure white energy. The light around it seemed to become distorted, almost like it was intensely hot. Inside of it was extremely white and bright, but it didn't seem to be emitting any of it to the room. It was like a tear in the light itself—light contained at that one point but nowhere else. The rest of the room was bathed in darkness.

Dmitri's eyes raced around the room as he remembered what happened. Irena had to be around here somewhere! She couldn't have gone too far. He found her pushed all the way into a corner near the entrance to the chamber, curled up into a tight ball.

He raced over to her, hoping she was okay. She stirred when he approached, and he was relieved. From her look, she had received no physical damage. He helped her up and she straightened her feathers that had been ruffled in by the energy.

Dmitri locked eyes with her for a moment. The male penguin recalled her words right before the whiteness had overtaken them. _I'm Sorry_. What had it meant? They had their hearts set on this ever since the left the penguin city nearly a day ago—was she regretting doing it? Dmitri hadn't wanted to go through with it after seeing the dead robot-penguin, yes. She had done it for him.

Unless she thought they were going to die as a result of what had happened. Maybe it was just a momentary show of fear in her actions. They didn't know what was about to happen when the Sun extended into the air, after that massive earthquake. Was she apologizing for that?

Dmitri found his brow lowered in thought, and it caused Irena to avert her own gaze to the ground. Sadly she said, "Looks like it worked."

"Don't know that for sure," responded Edgar. "I wasn't expecting anything like that to happen, though. I wasn't expecting that portal to form, either."

Dmitri redirected his attention to Blackbeak. "You don't know if it worked?"

"Its not like we had some people just standing around as willing test subjects. The only way you'll know is if your friends are safe back at the city."

Dmitri nodded. After he had pushed by that massive unseen force, he was sure it had worked. He had no idea how, but he knew it had worked. It was such a powerful and mysterious thing, that Edgar could only be right. All of the people were gone. Every single one.

He glanced towards the dead robot-penguin who had been shoved against another wall, his decaying body slime coating the path he had taken. That penguin had possibly died to prevent what Dmitri had just done. There was no way to be sure, though. Irena's last minute judgment was probably the best decision anyway, he thought.  
>At least now the emperors would be safe from those damn hunters.<p>

"We should probably get headed back, don't you think, Irena?" he asked to the tall female.

He couldn't help but notice how shaky she seemed since the event. It was like it had some more profound affect on her that he had not experienced. Her flippers quivered as he gently grabbed one of them, squeezing it with the same reassuring grasp that she had given him before they went through with this whole crazy idea. She perked up a little bit at this, but Dmitri could see how she still looked just plain ill.

"You're right," she offered. "I'm sure the others will be waiting for us and want and explanation."

Dmitri looked to the scientist once more. Edgar Blackbeak had done so much for them by bringing them here, giving them the opportunity to save their friends. It had been drastic, but at least the emperors were now safe. Maybe his mother and Irena's father were even safe. Dmitri wished he had something to repay the penguin with, but he hadn't brought anything alone with him.

Then he remembered the backpack. Perhaps there was something useful inside of it? Dmitri's only real interest in it was the pack itself, and Edgar already had one. He opened one of the side compartments, and to his surprise, managed to find a strange device. Having no clue what it was or what it did, he immediately thrust it over to Edgar.

"What's this?" he asked, taking it up in his hands.

"Not a clue," Dmitri responded. "It's all I can offer as thanks for your help, though."

Edgar nodded. "Parts like this are hard to come by for me nowadays, so thank you."  
>"So this is where we say goodbye," Irena commented.<p>

"That's for sure," the red-eyed penguin affirmed. "You two should be able to get out just by following the same passage we came in through."

"What are you going to do?" Dmitri asked.

"I came here to study the Sun based on Johnson's notes," he responded. "It's already proving to be a lot different than I expected, opening this rift here in the middle of the room. I'll have a lot of time on my hands to figure out what exactly it is."

Dmitri nodded. "Good luck. Maybe we'll return someday and check in on you."  
>Edgar waved his flipper dismissively. It was clear that he didn't like goodbyes.<p>

"Thanks again for your help, Edgar," Irena offered.

"I do what I can," Edgar said, then smiled.

After a quick flippershake, they separated. Dmitri wasn't exactly sure if he'd ever see the mysterious penguin again, but he was hopeful that he would. That penguin had big connections to his past, to the Penguin City, and to whoever that dead robot-penguin had been. The penguin who had died to save the world from something that they had just awoken.

He couldn't stop thinking about that. It was why he had hesitated. The penguin from his city who had lost everything to save the world. Dmitri had always envisioned his father to be that kind of bird. Sacrificing his life to save the lives of everyone around him. A noble bird, he thought. Maybe that penguin had even been his father. Dmitri shook his head—out of a thousand birds in the Penguin City it was preposterous.

Dmitri glanced at Irena who had her gray eyes focused on the ground. She was still trembling slightly. Dmitri didn't understand why. The Sun's energy had been intense, but it was over. The penguins were safe and the humans were dead. Dmitri thought she'd be more happy.

Perhaps the realization that she had just ended billions of lives prevented that feeling.


	19. A Realization of Fear

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 18 – A Realization of Fear**

**PRIVATE PUSHED HIS WAY THROUGH THE TRAPDOOR TO THE SMALL MAMMAL EXHIBIT.**

Alice had never locked the entrances to the habitats since they got back from Antarctica. It was convenient, to say the least, as Private wasn't particularly interested in vaulting over the tall brick wall today. He had a lot to tell Marlene and Julien, and he knew being out of breath wouldn't be very helpful.

He trotted over to the drainage pipe entrance, wondering how exactly he was going to break it to the pair. Should he say something more along the lines of, "So, I might need your help to confront the Sun again," or something like, "So yeah, about that bright flash, turns out everyone's gone!"

He stopped pondering over it as he approached the entrance to the lemur and otter's home. He heard shouting coming from inside that he hadn't noticed before. He immediately grew worried about what the two could be fighting about, and headed inside.

"You suddenly value your own stuff more than you value us?" Marlene growled, clutching the painting that Private had seen earlier. It was now covered in what looked like mango puree.

Julien stood across from her, hugging his own smoothie blender in his arms. His fur was flecked with some of the smashed mango and the blender itself was covered in it. "I am saying dat I was rescuing my blender from being broken on de floor," he argued, "It was going to fall."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to spray mango everywhere," Marlene shot. "You completely ruined our painting!"

Julien shrugged. "I was not thinking it was a very good representation of my regal profile," he scoffed.

Marlene clutched her paws tightly, throwing the canvas to the ground. "I worked hours and hours on that painting, Julien, and here you go just cutting it down again like I'm not good enough."

Julien blinked. "I am not trying to say dat."

"Yes you are," Marlene countered. "My painting isn't good enough for you, so you'd rather have Maurice do it."

"Maurice is a better artist..."

"Oh, hoho," the otter said, crossing her arms. "Thanks for having faith in me, Julien."

She turned her head away from the lemur, who was blinking at her confusedly. Private could see the otter's eyes shimmering as if she was holding back tears. Julien didn't seem to understand why she was on the brink of crying, though. He shrugged again and picked up a cloth near himself, wiping off his fur.

At this point Marlene noticed Private standing in the entrance and said, "Oh hey, Private."

"Hi," he returned, awkwardly.

"You heard that whole thing, didn't you?"

"Well, no," he responded, "but I did catch the last bit. Is everything alright?"

"Marlene looked up towards the lemur king and they exchanged a glance. "Everything is just fine," Julien answered.

"Yeah," Marlene agreed, though Private saw her look sadly down at her ruined portrait. "just fine."

"So what is de chubby fishy penguin here for?" Julien asked, now cleaning off the blender.

Private hesitated for a moment, wondering what the best way to continue was. He still hadn't determined how to break the news to the two, but he knew he had to. Marlene and Julien were the only two other animals on the face of the planet that would believe what he was about to relay to them.

"Well, something big just happened," he began, "but you have to keep it a secret, okay? Skippah doesn't want word getting out too fast and have the entire zoo go mental."

Marlene's eyes opened wide with curiosity. "What happened?"

"Did you catch that massive white flash that just came by?"

Both animals shook their heads. Private realized that the light wouldn't have made it all the way inside of the drainage pipe. He took a few moments to explain the situation. Everything from the Sun's prophesy to the mass absorption only a few minutes ago.

"Wait, wait, wait," said Marlene, "you're telling me that _all_ of the people are gone?"

"Exactly, at least according to what the Sun said. And I did see Alice get absorbed right from between my flippers, so it has to be true," Private affirmed.

"I am not believing it," said the lemur. "How did de Sun have de power to aborb _every_ human on the face of the planet?"

"I don't know," answered Private. "The Sun didn't tell me."

"Remember that man who got absorbed when were at the temple?" Marlene noted. "It has to be possible."

Julien scratched his crooked snout. "It is still sounding weird."

"Not denying that," agreed the small bird. "We've got to go to the Zooviner now, though. Skippah and the others will be expecting us. They're rallying a zoo meeting."

Marlene nodded. There hadn't been a zoo meeting since the one nearly a year ago where Marlene had complained about the intruder into her habitat. The intruder that Skipper had blown off at the time. That intruder had turned out to be Sargent Caspian Fishslader. Zoo meetings didn't just happen every day; something big had to happen for one to be arranged.

As they left the drainage pipe home, Julien walked quite a ways in front of Marlene and Private. As a result the small bird used the opportunity to ask Marlene, "Are you sure everything is okay between you two?"  
>Marlene nodded, trying to look convincing. "Yeah, of course," she said. Private knew that she was lying, but decided to talk to her about it later.<p>

The three of them headed off to go to the zoo's only souvenir stand, which was strategically located near the entrance of the zoo. It had sculptures of the zoo's four previous main mammals before they got shipped off to Madagascar. During the day the stand was bustling with people buying gifts for their loved ones, but at night it was deserted. The penguins had signified it as their meeting place for as long as Private could remember. When they met the attached food court became filled with all of the animals from the zoo.

As they approached, Private could see several of the zoo animals standing around in the failing evening light, looking confused. There was Roy, a massive gray rhinoceros with a massive horn. Private recognized him as being cool tempered and very passive aggressive. His massive body was only overshadowed by Burt the elephant.

Burt was possibly one of the most clueless animals at the zoo. He was so large but yet so unaware of his surroundings that it was almost embarrassing. Even so he had a kind heart and tried his best to help out whenever he could, even though he was hopelessly clumsy.

On top of head were Mort and Maurice, Julien's followers from Madagascar. Mort was a tiny mouse lemur, and though his appearance was of nothing more than a little fur ball, he was actually only a little younger than Julien. His massive, yellow eyes had resulted in his nickname of Sad Eyes from Skipper and the team. Maurice, on the other hand, was a wide set dark-furred lemur with gray tufts of fur in his ears showing him to be considerably older than Julien was. He had been Julien's loyal right hand lemur up until Julien started living with Marlene.

Near where Burt stood was Joey the kangaroo. Straight from Australia, he had a short fuse and extreme territory issues. Anyone who had the misfortune of falling his habitat usually received a beating before being launched out by his powerful kick. Even so, the kangaroo found himself able to stay calm long enough to attend the meetings, but his scowl showed that he wasn't happy.

Inching away from him was a mild mannered polar bear by the name of Ted. He was the most reserved out of any of the animals, despite the fact that he was a bear. His shuffled his white fur a bit as he glanced at the other animals around him, obviously uncomfortable to be around so many of them at once.

Next to him were two twin brother gorillas. They went by the names of Bada and Bing, Bada being the one with darker fur. They weren't too intelligent and were prone to getting in trouble, but they usually didn't mean any harm. They were playing a game of what looked like rock, paper, scissors as they waited for the meeting to start.

Near Bada and Bing were the zoo's other two primates, a pair of chimpanzees. British chimps, surprisingly. As a result the one named Mason talked with a thick English accent, and was prone to drinking tea and playing chess. His friend, Phil, was entirely mute and communicated with sign language. Phil had the unique ability to read human writing, however, and that had come invaluable as most of the animals in the zoo were unable to do so. Mason was able to decode his sign language and relay the meaning of his words to the others. As a result they made a great team.

Standing on all fours behind the chimps was a terrifying looking alligator. His name was Rodger, and was formally the local sewer alligator before Alice found him near death and adopted him into the zoo. His thick scales and sharp, crooked teeth gave an entirely wrong picture of who he actually was. He was sort of a gentle giant, wanting only to make friends and make everyone around him happy. He would still stand up for what he felt strongly about, though.

Besides the larger animals there were many smaller animals lining the tables and ground around the larger ones. Many of them were from the reptile house, which was the zoo's only indoor attraction. They were all looking curiously at each other as Private saw Skipper hop on top of one of the glass top tables, ready to begin the meeting.

"So you're probably all wondering what that giant flash of light was about," he began, and there a sound of consensus from the crowd. "Kowalski, explain it to them."

"Right." The intellectual flipped open his clipboard, taking a few steps forward so he could better project his voice to the entire crowd. "There is a rare occurrence during which the sun launches a massive solar flare directly at the planet. This solar flare is deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, and as a result, produces that massive wave of light and energy that passed over us only a short while ago."

Private exchanged an awkward glance with Marlene and Julien at the tall penguin's explanation. There was no way the animals were going to believe that.

"Solar flare?" Maurice spoke in his deep voice. "I've never seen something like that before in my entire life. Why was this one so big?"

"I have no clue," Kowalski shrugged.

"So what's the big concern? It's not like is going to kill us or anything, right?" asked Roy.

"Not exactly," Kowalski continued. "However, it seems to have had an adverse effect on the humans. They seem to have been terrified of it, and as a result, have evacuated the city."

"What?" Mason exclaimed. "That's preposterous. The humans would never conceive such a thing."

"What about Alice, too?" Rodger piped in. "I saw her vanish right in the middle of the zoo when the light came. Did she get burned away, or something?"

"I'm telling you that was no solar flare," Maurice agreed. "There was something... oddly powerful about it."

Pretty soon the entire meeting had erupted into a disorganized array of chatter. Private could see Skipper scowling profusely, crossing his flippers. Kowalski was waving his flippers a bit, trying to get all of the animals to calm down. They weren't agitated, either. There was a massive air of confusion that hung over the entire meeting.

"Enough!" shouted Skipper, silencing the entire group. When Skipper talked, they listened. That was the only rule the ex-military penguin expected them to obey. "That was a solar flare and we're going with that explanation. However, since we are going to be on our own for a little while with no humans around, we need to set some things straight right now.

"First off, food. I don't want any hording or fighting for it like the last time we were left alone. There should be plenty stockpiled in the zoo to get us through for a while. When that runs out we've got a whole city around us; there should be plenty out there to find. Second thing is electricity..."

Almost as if it was on cue, the lights flicked off. It was like a cascade of darkness as Private witnessed the lights in the offices of the skyscrapers around the zoo turn off in one long motion. Silence followed that point as all of the animals intently waited for Skipper to continue.

"Like I was saying, without the humans around we're not going to have any electricity. That means no lights. Again, I don't want anything happening like last time. We're going to keep things going just as smoothly as they have been around here, okay?"

There was some muffled agreement from the crowd, and Private was relieved. At least they weren't going to have another decent into jungle law. Trying to clean up that mess had not been a fun night. Still, Private couldn't shake the feeling that this was only a temporary solution. The animals weren't going to be happy if and when they found out what had actually happened.

Julien seemed to wish for that to happen as quickly as possible he opened his mouth. "Don't you see, silly penguin," he said, drawing everyone's attention, "it wasn't a solar flare. Private just told us that it was the Sun..."

The small bird launched himself at the lemur king, tackling him to ground and clapping a flipper of his snout. The king struggled, but Private had grown considerably stronger in the last few months and was able to hold him down without much trouble. The bird shot him an angry look and the lemur stopped struggling, realizing his mistake.

"Right," Kowalski covered, "the sun did produce the solar flare, but we already knew that."

"How long do you think it'll be before the humans get back, Skipper?" came Maurice's concerned voice.

Private saw Skipper tap his beak thoughtfully. That was going to be a tricky question to answer, Private thought as he continued to hold down Julien even though the lemur was not struggling any longer. He couldn't say forever, because the animals wouldn't accept that. He also couldn't say only a few days, or the animals would be suspicious when that time came and went.

"A long time," Skipper said simply, and Private wanted to slap his head.

Immediately the noise level of the meeting rose as the animals discussed this idea, and Private could hear many of them considering the fact that the humans weren't ever going to come back. Some of them even thought the humans were going to return only to destroy the zoo.

"Quiet!" shouted Skipper again, and the animals got quiet. "I don't know when they'll be back. They're not gone forever, though."

Private suddenly felt a little ping of anger towards his leader. Skipper had always told him to be truthful and do everything with honor, but now he was spitting in the face of that value. He was telling a deliberate lie to all of the animals just to get them to shut up. A lie that Private knew was going to backfire when the animals found out.

There animals were going to find out soon, he felt, pressing Julien's arms harder into the concrete. He really regretted telling the lemur what really happened.

Still, there was a hope of truth in what Skipper said. If the Sun's prophesy was right all the way through Kowalski's sacrifice, the people could be saved and they would be back. Private had no idea what that meant, though. They could all come back, or maybe only a few would ever return. He really didn't know. He did know, however, that the prophesy had been true so far.

Skipper continued giving orders. "For now, everyone return to your habitats. We're going to continue living like we have so far. The team and I are going to scout out and see what supplies we have and what we're going to need."

None of the animals seemed to acknowledge Skipper's final commands as they turned to go back to their homes. Private was a bit concerned with it. They hadn't believed any of the stories and he was sure some of them were going to go nuts within a few days. Bada and Bing were prone to that, working together to cause mischief, but the penguins had usually been able to shut them down. Joey was also a bit aggressive, but even he calmed down when he got what he wanted. The others were two mild mannered to cause much trouble, but they often got selfish.

Private glanced up at Skipper who was now staring down at him and Julien. The flat-headed penguin hopped off of the table and stalked quickly up to the two.

Private didn't have time to prepare for the slap that sent him flying off of Julien.


	20. An Empty World

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 19 – An Empty World<strong>

** ALEXANDER COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE**.

Mr. Green wouldn't shut up. Honestly at this point X thought that it was a physical impossibility for the stout man. It wasn't just the fact that he wouldn't stop talking, either. It was the fact that every other sentence out of his mouth was one that was directed to cut down X. Andrew clearly thought that his own business and its creations were far better than anything X had to offer.

X had had resisted the urge to tazor the man several times. Now, as they rose out of the depths of his basement on the elevator, he had to resist that urge again. He thought for a minute that he'd honestly do it his hands weren't busy clutching two heavy duffel bags.

"...so you need to be sure not to use the red lasers. The penguins get around those far too easily. And if you're going to use a heat detector, make sure it to trigger another, more precise instrument. Otherwise they'll set it off on you for a false alarm," the wide man explained like X was some kind of idiot.

"Gotcha," he returned through clenched teeth. Honestly he was wondering if access to the CIES was worth putting up with this torture.

"Excellent," responded Andrew. His smile made X scowl. "Are you headed to the zoo now, then?"  
>"Yeah. I'm going to use tonight to set up everything."<p>

"Good, good. I'm sure Alice will be happy to know that. I've got to get back to my office for a little while, but I might stop by sometime later tonight to see how things are going."  
>"I ain't need your help," argued X. "I'll be fine."<p>

Andrew continued to smile. "Nonsense! Trust me, you'll want my help. I've been tracking these penguins for a long time now, already."

X narrowed his eyes at the businessman, but he knew that his sunglasses prevented it from having any intimidating effect on him. Thankfully the doors to the elevator opened moments later so X didn't have to share the same five square feet with him anymore.

He squeezed himself through the door, tossing one of the heavy bags over his shoulder with ease. Inside of them was everything he was going to need. Power cables, cameras, motion detectors; the standard stuff. He even brought along a few cages and nets he had laying around, just in case that tall penguin from the extremists' research facility tried anything funny. Even a penguin with its knowledge wouldn't be able to do much if it was locked in cage.

Without another word, X walked towards the door. He unlocked it with a click and looked towards Mr. Green, beckoning him to leave. The businessman's expression surprised him as he opened the door. He was no longer smiling and now looked deeply concerned.

X looked around the door and saw what he was concerned about. Andrew's limo was still parked by the curb like it had been when he arrived. The difference now was that a large pickup truck decided to take the same parking spot. In fact, the truck had been rammed all the way on top of the limo, crushing what looked to be the driver's compartment and engine.

From the engine smoke and noise, X could tell that both engines were still running. Immediately the massive man knew something was amiss, though. There were no people standing around, gawking at the sight. He knew there would at least be some sort of police or ambulance, even if it had happened early into the few hours he and Mr. Green had spent in the basement. There was absolutely nothing, though. He stepped out of the house after the businessman and glanced up and down the street. Besides a few parked cars there was nothing but the wind. He set his duffel bags down and crossed his arms—this was definitely strange.

Mr. Green immediately trotted over to the wreckage. He stopped near it and scratched his head, possibly wondering the same thing X was. The next thing he did was pull on the passanger door, but it didn't open. He peered through the glass with his hands cupped over his eyes to shield them from the late evening sun. He turned back around and spoke.

"My driver's not in there, and neither is the driver of the pickup."

X merely nodded. He would assume both of them would have been sent to the hospital by now, but that still didn't explain why nobody else was around or why both engines were still running. It didn't explain why the pickup was rammed all the way on top of the limo, either. Sort of like the driver had floored it as though he or she was trying to get away from something.

"Hold on," Andrew said, pulling out his cell phone, "let me call my secretary. Maybe she got a call about what happened. After all, I didn't have a signal in your basement."

As Mr. Green tried the number a few times, X noted that the street lights were not on. They usually were on far before it got this dark. As he thought about it, he noticed all of the houses themselves seemed dark, as well. Actually his house was the only one that still had an active porch light. He now knew why he had heard his personal backup generators start up while they in the basement.

"The phone line is dead," Andrew announced, flipping the phone shut. " I can't even get a dial tone."

X shrugged. "Looks like my entire block lost power, too."

"Peculiar, to say the least," Andrew said, tapping his chin. "Where is everyone?"

X grabbed his bags and started walking towards his attached garage. He hit a switch on his keys and it opened automatically as he offered, "I don't know."

Inside the garage was a red van. It didn't look like anything special, maybe something that would be used by a moving company or a plumber. It was far from that, though. This was one of the secret service vans; something that X had demanded he take with him in exchange for keeping confidential information appropriately confidential. Re-outfitted and painted red, it fit right in with city traffic.

The gadgets this thing had standard, coupled with the things he had added over the last few years would not fit in with traffic, though. Radar surveillance, global tracking, three inch thick steel plating, bullet proof glass, a forward mounted machine gun with enough rounds to tear down a small building. It was like something that one might see in a cheesy spy movie. It was X's favorite vehicle and had served him well in his mercenary endeavors.

He opened the back of the van and tossed his duffel bags sloppily in. Glancing at all of the equipment he already had stashed in the van he wondered why he even bothered to pack the bags. There was more than enough stowed away in there to outfit the whole zoo.

The dark man closed the door and scowled as an awkward looking businessman stood behind it, his hands folded behind his back. "So, since I can't get a hold of anyone to pick me up, and corporate headquarters is only a mile away from the zoo..." he began.

"Hop in," growled X. He wasn't partial to giving favors to people unless they had some direct impact on his current job. In this case Andrew met that criterion.

The man pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled. "Thanks," he offered.

X waved his hand dismissively. They hopped in the front of the van and X started it up. They were off then, traveling down the quiet suburban street that was strangely even quieter. In fact there was nobody around at all. No old men cutting their grass, no kids playing ball on the sidewalk. Absolutely nothing.

It wasn't until they got to the first major intersection that X realized his suspicions had been well placed.

In the middle of the intersection was what looked like a junkyard of old cars. The cars there weren't old, though. They were new, and most of them still had their engines running. It was just like the limousine and the pickup truck—like the drivers had been driving fast to get away from something, and then they just... vanished.

"My God," mumbled Andrew as X brought the van to a halt. Both men hopped out and they survived the damage around them.

First off X noted the flashing red stoplights, probably a result of the missing electricity. Then he went to inspect the cars. He walked up to a small sedan and looked in the open window. The key was still in the ignition, and the radio was still on though it only emitted static now. The car itself was running roughly, having smashed into a lamp post.

Resting on the driver's seat was a set of clothes—a pink blouse and a pair of blue jeans. It was like the driver had just been there moments ago, but then left and for some reason decided to leave her clothes behind. X reached in and grabbed a purse from where it rested inside the center console of the car, then dug through it.

He found the driver's silence he was looking for. The woman had been a stereotypical middle-aged housewife with long blonde hair. She didn't look like the type to be on the run from any sort of law or to be of any trouble making type. In fact she looked the dead opposite—someone who would avoid this intersection with no intention of causing this mayhem.

"Its like they were just driving their cars, and then they just vanished," gaped Mr. Green. "The cars didn't even slow down when they disappeared, and they all collided here in the intersection."

X glanced up at him and saw him taking pictures with his cell phone. The scene was breath taking, yes, but X didn't think it was worthy of taking photos. That was mostly because he had the distinct feeling that they were going to be seeing a lot more this scenery at each coming intersection.

"What do you think happened here? Nuclear explosion?"

X shook his head. "A nuke would cause a lot more damage, and even in my basement we'd still die from the fallout," he explained.

"Then what could it be? These people obviously didn't just walk away from here without all their belongings and clothes."

Officer X immediately thought about all of the stories he had heard about the end times. They ranged from alien invasions to the Rapture. This scene seemed to fit the description of either of those events. However there was no sign of fighting and they had only been in the basement for a few hours, so X didn't think it was the former. Those crazy religious zealots always described Judgment Day to be like this, people vanishing into thin air.

If it had been the Rapture, he had missed it. He wasn't surprised to be honest. He wasn't surprised that the corporate scum that stood near him had missed it too. It couldn't have happened anyway. The whole idea of it was something that belonged in a child's storybook.

A storybook that seemed to be playing out before his very eyes.

"We should get going," X said to Andrew. He wasn't very interested in standing around anymore.

Mr. Green nodded, flipping his phone shut again. He looked out over the ruined road they needed to travel down, and said, "How are we going to get through all that wreckage?"

"I got my ways," X returned and surprisingly found himself smirking. Maybe it was because this could be his chance to impress Mr. Green. Or maybe it was just because he was going to have the opportunity to smash some cars.

Andrew looked a bit afraid as he saw the bumper of the van turn transform into a massive, titanium plow as X pushed a button on his remote. It was something that X had his engineer friend add; the one who had added his elevator. He had intended to use it to break through police roadblocks, but it had never seen use. At least not until today.

They hopped into the van again. "Are you sure this is going to work?" Andrew asked, looking a bit shaky.

X didn't respond and merely revved the engine, gripping the wheel of the vehicle tighter. He shifted the van into drive and they lurched forward at full speed. Mr. Green flinched as they contacted with the first vehicle. He looked relieved as it rolled out of the way, almost gracefully.

They made it through the roadblock, but X still had to drive slowly and swerve to avoid having to push more cars out of the way. Some of the larger trucks he wouldn't be able to move without damaging the van, so he tried his best to zigzag around the wreckage. There were so many empty cars just stopped at random angles and places that he found himself becoming a little tense.

Cars parked on front laws. Trucks plowed into houses. A semi truck rolled over in a ditch. It was exactly as X pictured a post-apocalyptic world.

"Should we stop and check these cars to make sure nobody is hurt?" asked Andrew.

X raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think that the people driving these didn't just vanish, too?"

"Well, no, but... not everyone must have disappeared. We're still here."

That statement was true, and X could only imagine why. His basement had been built with a nuclear holocaust in mind, but that couldn't have happened. And not in only a few hours. This was just too creepy for him.

"We should get to the zoo as fast as we can," concluded Andrew.

X couldn't help but feel himself agree. The zoo was in the middle of long island. They'd get a good feel of what exactly had happened and if there were any people still left anywhere in the city. Maybe if they found someone, they could explain what was happening.

"I hope Alice is alright," mumbled the businessman, making X look quizzically in his direction.

"That redhead? Why ain't you more concerned about your secretary, or somethin'?"

Andrew flipped open his phone once again, and X realized that his background picture was one of him and the zookeeper, their faces pressed side to side, smiling. "She's... important to me," he answered. "I just want to know if she's okay."

X smiled widely at this. "You got a terrible taste in women."

Andrew scowled. "Yeah, well I don't see a ring on your finger."

X looked blankly out on the road in front of him, dodging a fallen lamp post. "You married?"  
>"Engaged, actually."<p>

X laughed. He glanced over at the stout man and saw that his face was turning a deep red, making him look kind of like a tomato.

"Love is a waste of time," he started. "it just distracts you, makes you weak. I ain't gonna let no woman get between me and a job. They always gonna try to do that, get what I'm saying?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Mr. Green huffed. Needless to say, X was very happy to get under his skin for once. "I thought the same thing until about a year ago."

X didn't respond, instead trying to focus on the road in front of him.

"You meet the one and it changes everything," Andrew offered.


	21. A Lack of Identity

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 20 – A Lack of Identity<strong>

**DMITRI AND IRENA TRUDGED THROUGH THE SNOW**.

Dmitri, for one, was glad that the weather had been calm for their entire journey to the temple and back. Nothing more than a gentle breeze had ruffled their feathers, and the sky had remained as clear as ever. Now they could clearly see the Penguin City in the distance as they rounded a snowbank in the moonlit night. Needless to say, Dmitri was exhausted and was more than happy to be back.

It looked like Irena was, too. She had been sliding around on her belly as much as possible for most of the walk back in order to conserve energy, but even then she was terribly slow. Dmitri found himself waiting for her to catch up every few minutes, and it was growing frustrating. That was either because he was so tired or the fact that she was sulking up and down the snowbanks.

He knew she wasn't that tired. Her wide eyes and shaky flippers proved that. She was sulking over what she had done. Frankly, Dmitri was entirely disgusted by it, but he didn't say anything. The last thing she probably needed right now was a half angry pep talk from the penguin that owed her his life.

Dmitri knew she had a reason to be sulking. After all, she had just killed every single human on the face of the Earth. Dmitri wondered why he didn't feel more guilty about it, seeing as how he had been just as involved. Maybe he saw the good in it. Still, he found it extremely annoying to have to wait up for her. He was eager to see if the Sun had actually worked; that the penguins back home were safe.

"Everything okay?" Dmitri finally asked, breaking the hours of silence that had persisted between the two.

Irena pulled herself to her feet, brushing some snow off of her orange chest feathers. She took a moment before she looked up and said, "I think so."

Dmitri only looked into her eyes, the moonlight reflecting back into his own. The way were wide, the curve of her facial features—she was obviously upset. Dmitri already knew that from her sulking. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "No you're not."

Irena immediately averted her face to the ground. She nodded gently, then said, "Yeah, you got me."

"Look," Dmitri began, putting a flipper on Irena's shoulder, "I know you're upset about what happened, but try not to worry about it too much. There's nothing we can do about it anymore, anyway. Everyone should be safe at home now."

Dmitri tried to sound as genuine as possible in his words, but he still felt a bit of animosity towards the emperor's actions. After seeing that dead penguin cyborg from his city, the one who had died fighting against a penguin who wanted to use the Sun for something evil, he had wanted nothing to do with it. After all, according to Edgar's story, it was the direct reason why his entire society died those three years ago.

Surprisingly, Irena responded, "Its that, yeah. More than that, though. When I knocked the Sun off of its first pedestal, you lunged for me like you didn't want me to go through with killing the humans, and I did it anyway. I guess I'm feeling a little guilty."

Dmitri smiled at this. Irena was a very smart bird, and he wasn't surprised that she had already realize the mistake she might have made. Dmitri was going to make sure she realized that it hadn't been a mistake; that the humans deserved to be dead. If he couldn't do that, he was at least going to try to convince himself.

"Don't worry about it," he returned, patting her gently on the shoulder. "I was just having second thoughts because of Edgar's story. I mean, it's kind of crazy that my entire society died over that thing, you know?"

"Yeah," nodded Irena. "And my uncle."

Dmitri froze, and he felt his flipper immediately tense up on Irena's shoulder. She noticed this too, and she tried to shrug of his shoulder, looking awkwardly away from him. Dmitri's immediately tried to find a picture of the female's uncle in his memory. A large penguin, like his older brother Banar. That penguin had not died as a result of the Sun, though. At least that wasn't what Dmitri was told.

Irena managed to forcibly push Dmitri's flipper away as his grip grew so tight on hers that she winced slightly from pain. "So, uh... everyone's probably waiting on us. We should probably get back to the city..."

Dmitri shook his head, narrowing his eyes. Irena trailed off and her already wide eyes shimmered with fear. "Your uncle," began Dmitri. "He died from a leopard seal attack."

Irena nodded her head quickly. "Yeah, of course he did." She turned around but Dmitri grabbed her flipper, making her stop in her tracks.

"Why did you just say he died because of the Sun, then?"

Irena shoved his flipper away again, but didn't turn away. She merely ran her flippers over each other, looking towards the ground, her beak twisted into a frown. She was thinking hard; Dmitri could tell. When she finally spoke, it was quiet.

"Do you remember about six months ago when those two groups of marauding penguins stormed through the city?"

Dmitri had not seen any of the crazy penguins that had apparently stormed through the city that night, as Melanda had been sure to keep him safe, hiding away in their house. The first group had come at the end of the day, and that was when Dmitri was forced into hiding. He didn't come out until the second group left nearly a full day later.

He had no clue what happened when the groups of penguins were there, what kind of penguins there were, how many of them there were, or what they were up to. The only thing he knew was that that day he had attended the funeral for Irena's uncle. The story was he had been attacked by a leopard seal, and Dmitri had believed it. He wasn't sure why, but he had never suspected the mysterious penguins. Maybe it was because he never actually saw them.

Dmitri offered Irena a nod. Seeing this, she sighed before continuing.

"In the first group, there was a little penguin who had a gun just like the ones the hunters use, but smaller. And this one didn't fire sleep-bringing darts, it fired death. He pointed it at my uncle and shot him and he was dead. My father was quick to give them most of our food stores after that, and they left," she explained.

Dmitri was confused. He had heard the popping noise that night, but hadn't thought much of it. Was it possible for one little weapon to kill a penguin so quickly?

Irena continued, "That's not the full story, though. Remember how Edgar said he knew three penguins, one of which was named Skipper and another was Manfredi?"

Dmitri nodded.

"Both of those penguins were in the second group that passed."

The green-eyed penguin's eyes narrowed to angry slits. The penguin that was laying dead in that antechamber, the one that had been from his society had passed directly through the city and he hadn't even known it. He could have asked him so many questions about what the society was like, about who he was.

"You've got to be kidding me." Dmitri said, sounding quite a bit more angry than he intended. He put his flippers on his sides and looked towards the sky, exhaling loudly.

"You know how my dad got his beak broken?" asked Irena. Dmitri looked back down at her and no longer saw her eyes wide, but instead filled with that looked like compassion. "The one named Manfredi, the one who was part made of metal, attacked him. He kicked my dad so hard that it broke his beak."

It was so true. Dmitri had never thought more of Banar's injury. It had been assumed that he got it while fighting off the leopard seal that had killed his brother. Banar had taken a few weeks after that point to learn how to talk properly and without his beak whistling awkwardly.

"So he wasn't a good guy, even though Edgar said he was fighting to stop that Caspian penguin from getting the Sun?" asked Dmitri, suddenly a bit more curious than angry. He was still very angry, however. Why hadn't he been told about this when it happened. Or better yet, brought to speak to the last remaining penguin from his society?

It was probably just because, until now, Banar and the emperors had not realized that Manfredi was from the Penguin city. That thought gave Dmitri a bit of extra faith in Irena that he really needed right now.

"They were the good guys, though," Irena insisted. "The one named Skipper told us all about it, with the help of his friends. Manfredi apologized and left immediately after attacking my dad. Skipper said that Manfredi was from the Penguin City and that..."

Irena's voice trailed off as Dmitri immediately started, locking eyes with her once again. His voice was heated as he growled, "You _knew_ that he was from the City? You _knew_ that he was from my society, and you _didn't tell_ me?"

The female seemed to flintch at his words, staking a small step back from Dmitri's face as he pressed it closer to her. "It was my dad's idea," she said, sheepishly. "I wanted to tell you, but he wouldn't let me. He said it would hurt your process of becoming an emperor."

Dmitri felt his flippers quiver a bit. Banar had been very concerned about assimilating him into the emperor society from day one. Maybe it was because the emperors and the original inhabitants of the Penguin City didn't get along. More likely, it was because the emperors had so willingly taken over the destroyed city after the penguins there had been killed off. Dmitri liked that explanation. It made the emperors look like liars and thieves, which for all he cared right now, they were.

After all, he had been searching for any information regarding the city before his birth for as long as he could remember. Nobody ever told him anything. They all played the stupid act, even Irena. He didn't know the female very well, but he still figured he deserved to know this kind of information. The last remaining survivor beside himself was now dead, and he didn't even get a chance to talk with him when he was only a few feet from him.

He didn't think he could get angrier about this. What Irena said next blew that theory out of the water.

"That wasn't all Skipper told us," she explained. "He told us that Manfredi had attacked Banar because he was grieving for his dead love and unborn child. According to him, his love had green eyes. And his child had died in its egg." She paused and took a deep breath. "That was the egg that Melanda found, Dmitri."

Dmitri was awestricken. He pressed his flippers to his forehead, feeling his mind explode into a million thoughts about what he had just heard. The penguin he had just seen in the antechamber, the dead robotic cyborg thing, had been his father. Not only that, but Banar and the emperors had withheld him from his father when he returned to look for him. He couldn't believe it. Was Melanda in on this? She only ever wanted to protect him, to get him wrapped up in emperor penguin society. Obviously, he thought, considering she was the one that refused to let him leave the house while the robot penguin was there.

Then it hit him. Melanda Mooneyes was barren. Unable to have an egg of her own. That is why she never engaged, never had a child. That was why she was so eager to adopt Dmitri, take him into the Emperor society. More or less _steal_ him from his rightful parent, his father. His father who was now dead. His father who he might have had a chance to meet before that happened.

Banar had sought to protect Melanda's secret. Never telling Dmitri what happened at the massacre, never allowing him to associate with very many of the other emperors. Dmitri was shielded in such away that his thoughts revolved only around his adoptive mother and he hardly was allowed to even think about his biological parents.

As he thought about these things, Dmitri found his legs growing wobbly. Eventually he decided to give up trying to straighten them and just fell backwards, pulling his feet into his chest. Irena looked concerned and waddled slowly over to him before sitting down next to him on the snowbank. By the look in her eyes Dmitri knew she had known everything.

He suddenly found himself hating her for that.

As she tried to grab his flipper he batted it away and jumped back to his feet, grunting. He found his breaths coming choppily now, like he was on the brink of tears. Not tears of sadness, though. Tears of anger, hurt, betrayal. He had been betrayed by the same penguins he had sworn to protect. The same penguins he had rescued by following Edgar and Irena and murdering billions of human beings.

The feelings coursing through him were unreal, like nothing he had ever felt before. He had a sudden urge to slam the next emperor he saw in the face as hard as he could. That emperor happened to be Irena.

He balled his fist and sent it forward as the tall penguin got up next to him. She flinched and fell backwards as he stopped his flipper mere inches before it contacted with the tip of her beak. He was breathing heavily, his eyes both watery and filled with rage.

"You're a just like the humans," he cried, looking down at his still extended flipper. Irena looked up from the ground at him with tears in her own eyes.

"Dmitri, come on... it's not like that... it's not," pleaded Irena, pulling her flippers closer to herself like she was inspecting them for damages. Dmitri hadn't punched her, though. He couldn't bring himself to do it, even with how badly he was shaking from anger.

Dmitri stomped his foot, pointing aggressively in the direction of the temple, where the dead robot penguin laid. "My father came looking for me, and you assholes _hid_ me from him? Don't you think I'd want to meet my dad?"

Irena only looked back up at him, tears now streaking down her face. "My dad didn't know that Manfredi was your dad until after he was long gone, and at that point he didn't want to reveal you to him because Manfredi was absolutely insane..."  
>"Lies!" Dmitri shouted, pointing towards the terrified female. "I don't care if <em>he<em> was the one who killed your uncle! That's no reason not to let me meet my father!"

"But dad said that Manfredi was so delusional from loosing you that he nearly attacked a different baby penguin... that if he saw you he'd kill you..."  
>Dmitri only threw his flippers in the air, shouting with dismay. He looked back down at Irena who had scooted a few feet away from him. "Don't you dare say Banar was trying to protect me," he scowled, "you know damn well that he was trying to protect <em>Melanda.<em>"

"Melanda loved you like you could have been her own child," Irena argued.

Dmitri suddenly saw a vision of those purple eyes looking back at him, the long, gentle flippers smoothing his unruly feathers. The eyes' owner's calm voice. It was nothing like the lullaby of his dreams—the one from his biological mother—and he hated it. He wanted nothing to do with the penguin who had raised him.

"She raised me because she knew she couldn't have her own kid. I'm nothing more than her little plaything."

"Don't say that," tried Irena, but Dmitri waved her flipper dismissively.

"You know, on the day before my coming of age... Melanda told me one thing. You know what that was?"  
>Irena shook her head.<p>

"She told me that I was an emperor penguin. That nobody could tell me differently." Dmitri lowered his voice, looking towards the ground. "I can see now that that was just another lie."

With that, Dmitri made haste to get away from Irena. Just the sight of her was making him nauseous. Maybe it was because she had withheld this information from him, even when he was looking directly at his deceased father. Or maybe it was simply because of the fact that she was an emperor penguin.

The emperors that had invaded his city after the death of all of his true neighbors and his mother. Moved out the dead bodies and claimed the city for their own. Hell, for all Dmitri cared they were worse than the humans in that regard.

"Where are you going?" Irena asked, though Dmitri thought it was obvious. He was walking in the direction of the city with one item on his mind. After that, though, he was leaving and never coming back.

Dmitri stopped walking and clenched his flippers again. "I'm sorry," he began, darkly, "but I've just been told I'm not Dmitri Mooneyes. I'm whatever Manfredi would have wanted to name me. I'll never know what that name is, thanks to you." He paused and looked Irena dead in the face. She still hadn't picked herself off the ice. "I'm done with you and I'm done with the city. I'm going to find where I really belong."

"You belong here, though," insisted the emperor, her voice expressing desperation, "with us. Come on, Dmitri. I just killed billions of people. I'm so guilty over that and holding the information that you needed from you that I... I need you, Dmitri. Please don't leave."

Dmitri sighed. "You emperors are so needy. You and Melanda both. You need me for something all of the time, don't you?"  
>"Isn't that the penguin credo you took? To always help out your fellow emperor?"<p>

"Yes. Maybe if I was an emperor it would actually mean something," Dmitri shot.

Irena pulled herself to her feet quickly, grunting. "Please don't go," she pleaded.

Dmitri merely shook his head. Such a small gesture, such a large act of communication. Before Irena could try to convince him otherwise he slid down the slope on his belly. He heard the emperor begin her pursuit, shouting his name, but knew he'd be able to outrun her just fine.

He would be damn happy if he never saw her face again in his life. Those gray eyes, the way they shimmered in the moonlight. It reminded too much of Melanda. Maybe if that thief hadn't have held Dmitri from Manfredi, the cyborg wouldn't have gone crazy looking for him.

For now, he tried to focus on the task at hand. Propelling himself forward, he set his sights on his house near the outskirts of the city. He was going to get the one thing that mattered anymore, his biological mother's engagement stone. Then he was going to get out of there. He didn't care if he saw any of the other emperors, he was just going to ignore them.

The question now was, where would he go? Antarctica was a big place, he thought. Maybe he'd even find some more penguins of his own type if he searched hard enough. Maybe Manfredi had some relatives somewhere he could find. That was probably just wishful thinking, though.

Right now, he just wanted to be as far away as possible from the emperors and their world full of lies.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>Hope you liked this chapter! One of the most important in Dmitri's story arc.

With this chapter I'm about a month into and a third done with this book. A lot more to go! Unfortunately, however, I'm going to be greatly slowing down in terms of updating this story. I want to start investing time into writing my own original novel to publish, so unfortunately this story isn't going to be seeing as much attention in the coming months. I'll still try to get out a chapter each week if possible, though. I'm still excited to write this!


	22. A Thirst for Knowledge

**The Power of Silence**

**Chapter 21 – A Thirst for Knowledge**

**EDGAR SAT IN THE CORNER OF THE ANTECHAMBER, HOLDING JOHNSON'S JOURNAL IN HIS FLIPPERS.**

The light from the brightly glowing portal on the raised platform on the center reflected off his solid red orbs, giving him an almost surreal appearance as he prepared to write his next journal energy. The bodies he had come across earlier had been moved into the far corner of the room, and though he gotten used to the putrid stench, he still distanced himself from their rotting corpses.

He had never been upset by death before. He had seen so much of it that it was nothing new to him. Animals are born, and animals die. Its just the way life is. He just didn't like the fact that the animals laying in the corner had died over the Sun. It was powerful, and the brutality shown through the unknown bird's crushed skull made it seem like it had driven all three birds to insanity.

It had driven at least Caspian to insanity. And from the looks of it, Caspian drove Manfredi to insanity. Then Manfredi almost drove his son to insanity.

Well, he wasn't entirely sure if Dmitri had been Manfredi's son or not, but there as a lot of evidence indicating that it was so. The kid had practically been a spitting image of his father, except for his unruly feathers. Everything from the green eyes to the bulky frame showed that Dmitri as Manfredi's lost child, though Manfredi had never met him.

That was why Edgar had chosen his words so carefully when Dmitri had grown suspicious of that fact. Edgar knew right from the moment Dmitri got suspicious about his knowledge of the Penguin City that he needed to reveal only most basic information. Its not likely that Dmitri would have taken the knowledge that his father had died over the Sun well.

In fact, Edgar suspected that he would have even tried to stop him from studying it. He knew Dmitri had been raised by the emperors, and with the evidence laying right in the corner that he wasn't one of them, Dmitri would only have gone crazy. Identity is such a necessary thing in life that having it ripped away in a heartbeat would have driven Dmitri to drastic measures.

Edgar thought for a moment that the bird had reached that point when he hesitated to move the Sun to the higher pedestal. At least the female emperor had gone through with it. After all, Edgar didn't want to be held responsible for removing humanity from the face of the Earth. He just wanted to see what would happen if someone did.

For now he gripped his pencil in his flipper, piecing together his next journal entry in his mind. He had spent a while studying the portal in the middle of the room, but he could draw no conclusions. He even tossed in Manfredi's fried robotic flipper at one point to see if it led anywhere, but it just shot back out in a heart beat. Not a noise, not even a waver in the light. It just sort of rejected the foreign object.

He had a feeling that he was playing with a power far beyond his own comprehension. That was notable, considering the humans practically gave him the intelligence of a neurosurgeon at the facility. Maybe that's why Johnson's journal entries were so useless sometimes. He just didn't understand.

Giving his head a light shake, he put his pen to the paper and began to write.

* * *

><p><em>A Study of the Sun<em>

_May 8th, 2010_

_ It had become clear to me that the Sun is something of great mystery, something that I feel that I will never completely understand. That isn't surprising, considering that, according to Johnson, is as old as the Earth itself. There are some things in this world that are just too shrouded in the past to be entirely understood. _

_ With the help of two penguins from the rebuilt Penguin City, I have witnessed something of extraordinary proportions. Something that not even Johnson must have seen, even with his time in the library. _

_ He touched briefly on the three raised platforms in the antechamber, but he didn't go into much detail. Its funny how he describes them. The lower one, according to him, is sort of the sentient, benign position that allows the Sun to lie dormant, while still powering the Earth. The fact that it is powering the Earth is a discussion for another entry. As far as I can assume it has never been moved from the first pedestal before._

_ The second pedestal on the middle platform is something Johnson describes to be a "reset button". It is curious, to say the least. The only explanation is that it was placed there to offer a means of cleansing the planet of all evil without harming it. He mentions something obscurely about people, but his constant need to address them as "souls" instead of human beings has me baffled._

_ Still, I have seen the Sun in action after the other penguins helped me move it to the second platform. It emitted an unbelievable amount of energy for a short while, glowing intensely white and rising into the air. It reminds me of the one time Caspian Fishslader opened it a crack in the old penguin base only to result in it frying most of my radar equipment. _

_ That was nothing compared to this energy, though. It knocked us with such force that I thought for sure the temple was going to crumble around us. Before it finished it sort of absorbed all of the energy back into itself. It was an odd sensation, to say the least. Like some sort of reverse wind that ruffled my feathers but didn't move me at all. _

_ I heard something for a brief few moments. It sort of sounded like random chatter, like there were millions of fearful individuals in the room for only a split second. Then, silence. I looked up to see a white portal floating on the center platform just a few feet behind the Sun, which has now somehow closed itself._

_ I can only assume that it worked. However it exterminated the humans from the planet, it left the animals untouched. Both the penguins I came with and I were unscathed by the massive energy burst, and though it left us on edge, the entire antechamber returned to its previous, unaffected state. Like nothing had ever happened._

_ Johnson's notes say that the second pedestal still allows the Sun to power the Earth as if it were on the first one. I can only hope that is the truth, because I don't know if I'll be able to move it back to the first one. I can't see the sun from down here, so I'll have no way of telling if the Earth is still rotating or not. _

_ The third pillar and platform are something of a mystery to me still. Johnson seems to have never gotten to it in his research. He only acknowledges its existence, and then there is but one other sentence regarding it._

_ "Never place the Sun on the third pedestal for it will bring enlightenment on a level never seen before."_

_ This baffles me almost as much as the riddle regarding how to open the door to this temple. Its strange how the riddles tend to circulate this place. Nothing is never just out in the open, ready for the taking so that I can figure out what the Sun is exactly capable of and if there is any safe way of harnessing its power without disturbing its powering of the Earth._

_ Maybe when I find the library, things will become clear to me. I have already opened some of the doors of which Johnson claims it is behind, but..._

* * *

><p>Edgar paused for a moment, looking up into the glowing portal.<p>

He had immediately searched for the library, thinking it was just behind any one of the doors. He even thought for a while that all of the doors just led to the same, massive library that had a central location in the fortress. He couldn't have been more wrong.

The images of the smiling face, the jet black hair and the striped suit came flooding back to him. He immediately felt a ping of sadness in his heart and shut his eyes to stop them from watering up again. He hadn't seen that face in nearly ten years. Why did it appear to him here?

His mentor, his teacher, his owner. The man's image was haunting him again, long after his murder. Why was that? Why was he standing in each of the rooms, smiling down, every time Edgar opened a door?

He tried to clear his mind and get back to his writing.

* * *

><p>...<em>nothing of interest laid behind them. Just small, empty rooms with nothing but the same tile that lines all the walls of this temple. There are hundreds of doors, though. I will continue searching for the library and hope that I find it soon.<em>

_ Johnson did comment on the doors in his notes. He said that they showed the person who opened it their greatest need. He said that the rooms were designed to distract the purveyor from their real path, which would probably have something to do with the Sun. He also said they locked behind the opener of that person decided to enter. Never to open again._

_ Maybe it's the Sun's self defense system. I have no idea how it works, but it wouldn't be too hard to accomplish with projectors and machinery. The question is, how does the temple swap the rooms out so easily, and how does it know exactly what will have the greatest affect on the opener?_

_ Judging by the fact that the Sun just exterminated all of the people from the face of the planet, I wouldn't doubt its ability to conjure such hallucinations as well. That is coupled with the fact that I do feel drawn to it in some ways, but it is not strong enough to force my hand. At least not in the way Caspian did. That crazy penguin wouldn't stop touching it when we took it back to Denmark that long time ago. _

_ Its kind of strange to think that the penguins that led me here from the Penguin City were not affected in the same way as Caspian. That Manfredi, Skipper and Johnson weren't. I guess some birds are just stronger than others. Or maybe the Sun has a habit or preying on any little kernel of darkness in someone's heart._

* * *

><p>Edgar put down his pen. He couldn't bare to write anymore, the image of the man in the striped suit rocking his thoughts. It was such a perfect illusion, like Edgar could have reached out and touched the hem of his pant leg with his flipper.<p>

In fact, he almost had. The man had been beckoning him in. So that the door could lock behind him and he could starve to death.

He needed to stay focused. He had a lot of food, but that wouldn't last him forever. He needed to find the library so that he could start to answer some of his questions, and record those answers so that the next reader of Johnson's journal could actually understand what he was trying to get across.

Edgar briefly wished that Johnson was still alive. If the small bird was standing near him today, things would be a lot easier. Understanding the Sun was not a task for one penguin.


	23. A Confusing Decision

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 22 – A Confusing Decision<strong>

**DMITRI STOOD IN THE DARK HOUSE ONCE MORE**.

At least an hour had passed since Irena told him about his father, but his flippers were still trembling. Now he was standing, leaning over the table in Melanda's house, looking over the few items he had collected to bring with him. Even though he had lived in the house since he was a baby, it was so foreign to him he almost felt like an intruder as he stood there. That was odd, considering that the emperors considered all homes to be public domain.

He began putting the items he had collected into his new backpack, prepared to leave and never come back. A few frozen fish he found bundled on the counter. A tiny, dull knife Melanda had found long ago and used to cut fish. The strange red containers, complete with black strings coming from their ends, and the metal cans he had found in the bag. Those things might be helpful down the road, but he knew for the most part he would be living off the land.

He picked up the final object from the table, the most precious thing he had left. His biological mother's engagement stone. It was shiny in the dim light, and it almost gave him shivers as Irena's words replayed through his head.

_ It was the egg Melanda found, Dmitri_.

That thief never deserved this stone. It belonged in his flippers and his flippers alone. That was what Manfredi would have done if they would ever had met; passed it down to his only child. It symbolized the love that his biological parents must have shared at one point, something that he was going to be sure to cherish, even in their deaths.

He slipped it gently into one of the small compartments on the bag before zipping it back up. He took a deep breath then, sighing and preparing to leave the godforsaken city for the last time. He was more than happy about it, though. The emperors he had just worked so hard to save were nothing but walking bags of lies and deceit. Worse than the humans that hunted them down.

At least the humans were gone now. The emperors who had been abducted by the researchers had returned back to the city unharmed, and were now walking around the streets like nothing had ever happened. Dmitri overheard one of them talk about some giant flash of light, how the humans just vanished, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that the Sun had actually done what Edgar said it would.

Dmitri could only think about what that black-beaked penguin was doing now. Was he really going to just study the Sun, or did he have darker intentions? The bird had seemed honest enough, but even he hadn't told Dmitri the full story about the dead cyborg penguin. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave him behind.

No time to worry about that, though. Dmitri had far too much else on his mind as he slipped the straps of the backpack over his flippers. For one, how to get out of the penguin city without drawing too much attention to himself. He didn't need the others' pity right now. He actually didn't want to talk to them at all.

He realized that he would have no choice but to talk to at least one as a familiar female barged through the door to the ice hut, out of breath. She took a few moments, huffing and puffing, before exclaiming, "I'm glad I caught you!"

Dmitri narrowed his eyes, crossing his flippers. "Look, Irena," he began, "I don't want to talk to you anymore. Nothing you can say is going to change my mind."

Irena expressed hurt for a moment across her feathered face, but remained calm. "I know you're hurt, but you can't just leave," she argued.

"Why not?"  
>"Well," she paused, "what about your penguin creed? Don't you want to uphold that?"<br>Dmitri scoffed, "I have no creed. I was never an emperor to begin with, and therefore I have nothing holding me here."

Irena opened her beak quickly, but then shut it. Dmitri could tell she knew that arguing was futile; Dmitri wasn't an emperor. He had no responsibilities to the Penguin City. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was trying to convince him that even if he wasn't, he was still a member of the society, though.

"Okay," she admitted, looking towards the ground, "but if you're leaving, I want to come with."

Dmitri opened his eyes wide. "Why?"

The female emperor looked up at him, a wide scowl plastered on her face. "Apparently killing billions of people has a level of guilt associated with it," she explained. "I don't know If I... I can deal with it alone."

Dmitri stepped forward, pushing his way passed her. "You've got a thousand other emperors to cry to."

"No," Irena returned stopping Dmitri by grabbing his flippers. "It's not that easy. I... I'm scared, Dmitri. I don't know many other penguins, they wouldn't understand what I'm going through. You're the only one I can trust right now."

Dmitri arched a brow. "And you're telling me that you want to leave them behind and run away with me, just because you feel uncomfortable?"  
>"Yes," Irena said shakily before offering an awkward smile.<p>

"Get out of my way," shot Dmitri, breaking her grasp on his flipper. He paused in the doorway and said, "At least you actually know who you are."

For the second time in only a few hours, Dmitri ran away from Irena. This time it wasn't just Irena, though, it was much more than just her. It was the entire Penguin City. Dmitri was running from his entire life, going out into the world to find who he was. Coming out of the darkness of the emperor society and into the light of the world, he thought.

Some emperors waved to him as he left town. He ignored them, not wanting to see their smiling faces. After all, there was nothing saying that any one emperor wasn't holding secrets back from him. Besides, Irena was probably hot on his heels and he didn't want her to catch him because he got distracted saying goodbyes.

Not that he wanted to say goodbye, either. For all he cared he was never an emperor. Never part of the society, never friends with the other emperors. They were looking at a stranger, not waving to a penguin they knew.

Within minutes Dmitri found himself a distance from the city on the crest of a large snowbank. He rested a few moments, catching his breath. There was no sign that Irena had pursued him out of the city, and that made him happy. He wasn't sure he could put up with another one of her sappy speeches.

He wondered for a moment why she gave them, though. Why was she so determined to keep him in the city? Didn't she realize the turmoil she had just caused him? Maybe it was for the same reason she stayed by his side when he was knocked out by the hunter's sleep-bringing drug. That was a reason that Dmitri didn't entirely understand yet.

He looked out on the other direction, across the barren Arctic plain, looking for any sign of where to go in the moonlight. Antarctica was a big place, so there must be something of interest out there. Maybe another city of penguins, maybe an abandoned human settlement. His eyes found what he was looking for as they traveled along the edge of the ice sheet in the distance.

Floating in the icy water was one of the human boats. He had only ever seen one once before in his life, when Melanda was teaching him to fish. She had instructed him to hide from it, that the humans would take him if they saw him. Now, however, those humans were long gone. The ship was sure to be abandoned. Without another thought he skillfully slid down the slope, making a straight line for the craft.

He knew it could take him far. Maybe even to other places of the world than Antarctica. The entire world was out there, waiting for him to explore. That idea made him happy, sort of like he was finally beginning his life. A life not shrouded by the lies of the society he was no longer a part of.

A gentle nighttime breeze shifted Dmitri's feathers as he waddled towards the boat. He didn't care, though, and pressed on. His eyes were locked on the craft in front of him as he moved forward, not even turning around to see the penguin city shrink against the horizon behind him.

He couldn't stop thinking about his father. That mysterious penguin that had been huddled over the Sun in his final resting place. He felt a great, gnawing curiosity pull at him. Edgar and Irena's stories had not explained to him how his father had gotten there. Why was he huddled over the Sun while the penguin named Caspian Fishslader was dead on the other side of the room?

He found it hard to believe his father was a murderer, so he must have killed Caspian out of self defense. Edgar said that he knew they would be fighting over the Sun again one day, but he didn't say anything more than that. Nothing to indicate why Manfredi's skeleton had been left huddled over that immensely powerful artifact.

He couldn't help but imagine the kind of bird his dad must have been. Driven to insanity, according to both Edgar and Irena's stories. Insane because he lost his lover and presumed his son was also dead. Dead because the one named Caspian felt like he need to prove a point. That was at least what Dmitri was able to piece together from the stories.

Dmitri wondered for a moment if he would even still be alive if Melanda hadn't scooped him up shortly after the massacre was over. In his nightmares he usually found himself freezing to death after avoiding tidal waves of crimson blood as long as he possibly could. Usually he'd be huddled up in some corner somewhere, shaking uncontrollably, trying to strain the blood out of his feathers. Then, he'd just fall into blackness.

And wake up a few moments later. He felt a pang of regret as he realized that Melanda, even though she had kept him from his father, was the sole reason he was alive. Maybe he was making a huge mistake about blaming her. Maybe it was for his own good.

No. She was just as selfish as Banar, whose actions could not be explained so easily. Banar Swiftfeathers had determined on day one of Dmitri's life that he would never know who he actually was. Melanda had went with it because of her unyielding need to have a child of her own. They were both heartless bastards for all Dmitri cared.

So he pressed on, into the night. The wind began to pick up after a short while and soon it was picking up the snow, sending it swirling into the frigid air. After a few moments he found it hard to see too far in front of his face and knew as the cold wind pierced his warm feathers that he needed to find shelter.

When he finally reached the boat, Dmitri climbed onto it. It was deadly silent, save for the howling wind, and though Dmitri knew the researchers that owned the boat were long gone, he still stood on edge. There wasn't anything saying that a leopard seal hadn't taken refuge in it before he arrived. He creeped around the strange, metal surface, listening for any source of noise.

There was nothing but the sound of creaking metal as the breeze and waves gently rocked the boat. Dmitri sighed, there was nothing of threat here. He wondered for a moment if Melanda was on the boat somewhere, but then shook his head. She and Banar had been abducted by a different group of humans than the researchers, and several days earlier. She was probably in a far off land already.

After all, she hadn't returned with the other emperors. Neither had Banar. Dmitri was glad, though. They'd try to convince him to stay, like Irena did. He didn't want to have to confront them about his deceased father.

Dmitri found it curious that Banar had kept not only the story of Manfredi from him but also the secret of the temple of the Sun. Maybe it was because he was sort of overprotective, not wanting any of the emperors to get into harms way. Maybe that was why Manfredi's society and the emperors never got along very well.

Dmitri approached a strange room on the deck of the boat. The door was ajar and he pushed it open, looking into the dark space. It was what he could only assume was sort of an operation chamber. There was machinery that lined the walls, full of dials and switches that he had no clue what they could do. Nonetheless he was very happy to get out of the icy wind that pelted him from behind.

If he was going to use this boat, he'd need to figure out how to drive it first. The multiple dials, controls, and buttons didn't look familiar to him at all as he gazed up at them. However, if the humans drove this boat here, he could drive it back to where they came from. He hadn't the slightest clue how to even start it, though. He had even less of an idea of how to drive it, how to navigate. Suddenly he felt a slight fear, like this plan of running away wasn't such a good idea.

Should he go back to the Penguin City? No, that wasn't an option after how he treated Irena. He was on his own now. He didn't have to use the boat, anyway. After all, there was plenty to explore in Antarctica. He could find his way back to the temple and maybe use it as sort of a staging ground to explore the surrounding area. Satisfied with his new plan, he turned to leave.

He frowned when he saw Irena standing in the door. She immediately stepped into the cabin and closed it behind her, shielding them from the frigid blizzard outside. Dmitri saw that her feathers out of line from the wind, and that her eyes were red and puffy. Watering because of the wind, he thought.

"I asked you not to follow me," he said.

"I know, I know," she answered. "I'm not listening to you."

Dmitri narrowed his eyes. She shrugged, then walked passed him and hopped up on the driver's seat of the boat, looking down at the steering wheel and the many controls. She tapped her beak for a moment as Dmitri wondered what she was doing.

"Got it," she said, then clicked a switch. Dmitri was caught off guard as the boat's engine roared to life and the floor began to vibrate slightly.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Started the boat."  
>"Why?"<p>

"You didn't look like you knew what you were doing," she responded, then flicked another switch. Dmitri heard a clinking of metal from outside the cabin.

"How do you..." he began, but was cut off.

"My dad," she explained, "he knew a lot more than what you and the other emperors were led to believe. He showed me one of these boats not too long ago, and taught me how to drive it."

Dmitri clenched his beak, though he wasn't surprised at the fact that Banar was just shrouded in more lies. "You can go now," he growled.

Irena shook her head slowly. The action, coupled with her ruffled feathers and her bloodshot eyes gave her a very tired look. Sort of like she had just given up on something, but Dmitri wasn't sure what. "If you want to leave, I'm coming with. That's final."

"You..."

"Just shut the hell up!" Irena shot the words harshly, then clasped her flippers over her beak, looking shaky for a moment. Dmitri could see her eyes begin to water again before she rubbed them.

He realized at that point they weren't red and puffy from the wind—she had been crying. Profusely.

"Sorry, I... I'm coming with you, okay?"

"Okay," Dmitri offered.

His response was calm and steady, and it made her turn her head slightly in curiosity. Dmitri realized that she was offering to run away from the society she had pledged herself to leading long ago just to help him deal with what she had forced upon him. It was noble, he thought, but he still didn't feel like he could forgive her for hiding the information he needed.

Besides, she seemed to know what she was doing with the boat.

"So where do you want to go?" Irena said after a few moments.

Dmitri tapped his beak thoughtfully. He hadn't heard much about what the world was like outside of Antarctica, but he knew it was massive. He responded simply, "North".

"North?"

"Yeah, let's just go north. Away from this block of ice."

Irena side, and again she looked tired. Dmitri saw her gray eyes direct themselves in the direction of the Penguin City for a moment, like she was giving leaving with him some additional consideration. Dmitri could tell that she really didn't want to do this. So why was she?  
>He kept the thought to himself as Irena turned back to the boat's controls and pushed a lever forward, causing the craft to lurch forward. They couldn't see far in front of them because of the whiteout, but after a few moments things began to clear. Dmitri realized that they were actually leaving Antarctica for good.<p>

He thought briefly of Melanda. He was so mad at her moments ago that he didn't even consider what she would think of his actions. Maybe he just didn't care anymore.

"I'm not going to be able to drive this thing forever. I'm going to need sleep eventually. You should learn how to drive, too."

Dmitri nodded, then smiled. The smile seemed to have adverse effects on Irena, and she looked away from him. The disheveled penguin realized that it was only an act of boasting, that he was getting what he wanted and Irena was stuck with him.

He just didn't understand _why_. Why was Irena on the boat with him? Why was she so willing to drive him far away from Antarctica? Was it because she wanted to try to find Banar, wherever he might be in the world?

It couldn't been for the same reason she said she stuck with him when he was knocked out by the sleep-bringing drug. The reason behind that had been to uphold the emperor credo. This was something bigger than that. Something that was set in line a long time ago, Dmitri thought.

Or maybe it was just the same reason that she had been crying as she followed him into the blizzard.

* * *

><p>~<strong>Author's Note<strong>: Hope this chapter wasn't redundant with chapter 20. This is one of the most important parts of the story, and I really wanted to do it justice.

For the most part, I'll be updating one chapter per weekend. Maybe two. Hope that works for you guys!


	24. A Relinquishment of Commitment

**The Power of Silence**

**A Relinquishment of Commitment**

**DAMN THAT BUNKER.**

Private was, once again, sitting in that chair on the edge of interrogation from Skipper. The room around him once again held that air of punishment, like that night Private attacked Kowalski in his sleep. The bunker was abnormally dark because of the lack of electricity, and only a battery-powered lantern provided any sort of light to the room. Private had his flippers crossed and he was looking to the ground with a scowl on his face.

His face still stung where Skipper had slammed him. Skipper's right flipper had never quite gotten its full strength back after it was broken by Thurgo in the Antechamber, so the leader had resorted to using his left. Over the last few months his flipper had grown just as powerful, if not more powerful than his right ever was. The small trickle of blood that came from Private's beak was direct evidence of that fact. He had cut his tongue on his beak when Skipper hit him.

It wasn't just a slap. When Skipper gave those he meant for them to have some sort of commanding effect over the bird on the business end of his flipper, and he was always trying to prove a point. This time Skipper had just slammed Private as hard as he possibly could. It had been more of a punch, now that Private thought about it.

He glanced over to the table and saw Rico pushing a white cloth to him. The large bird was sitting across the table from him, his eyes glinting against the faint light of the lantern. Private offered his thanks for the rag and took it, using it to wipe the dried blood from his feathers. Rico had been sitting with him ever since Skipper and Kowalski left the HQ to discuss Private's consequence. At that point they must have been gone for over thirty minutes.

The round bird glanced up at his maniacal friend for a moment, and he offered a tiny, awkward smile. Private redirected his attention to the floor; he didn't want any of Rico's pity right now. Rico usually did a good job of cheering him up, but nothing was going to have that effect on him right now. He had just dug himself his grave by telling Julien and Marlene about the mass absorption.

After the Zoovineer meeting Skipper had immediately dragged Private back to the HQ and sat him in the chair. The questions were quick and didn't mean much. Simple ones like, "what were you thinking?" that Private didn't even feel obligated to answer because he knew Skipper wouldn't even listen to the answer.

The question was, why was Skipper making such a big deal about it? It was true the leader had requested that the information remain between the four birds, but that didn't explain why Marlene and Julien shouldn't have been told. They were, after all, the only other animals who would understand. Skipper was so terrified of the idea of the zoo returning to jungle law that he didn't even want to tell the two animals that had helped him overcome sarge only half a year ago.

That idea enraged Private. In fact, even now he felt his flipper's quivering. His heart rate was accelerated, his breathing coming quickly. He tried his best to take deep breaths, to calm himself down so that he didn't snap on Skipper when the leader ultimately returned to the table. It wasn't working, though. Private found himself unable to get his mind off of Skipper pounding him off of Julien.

Skipper had been slapping him a lot recently, actually. That time he missed a corner of the HQ on his maintenance day. The day of his fight with Kowalski. The night he attacked Kowalski. And now. Private's face was growing so sore that he thought for sure Skipper was going to give him a concussion or something.

The only thing that hurt right now was his scar, however. The line of skin that had never quite healed over properly right above the left side of his beak. The feathers were thin there, and it almost felt to Private like they were being burned away. The searing pain that shot through his face was almost unbearable now that he was really angry. In fact, he was having a hard time controlling the twitch of his left eye.

At least his beak no longer hurt because of it, he thought. It helped him get his mind off of Skipper, of only a bit.

The fishbowl hatch opened and the flat-headed leader dropped into the HQ the moonlight casting a shadow below him. Kowalski followed him in and closed the hatch behind him, once again restricting the only light source to the small lantern.

Private didn't even offer the two birds more of a glance. They had just spent the last half hour discussing what they were going to do about him, about how he revealed what was supposed to be confidential information. The idea of it sickened him. What gave these two birds the right to discipline him in this way? How come they got to decide if it was good or bad to tell Julien and Marlene about the absorption?

Rico's words came to Private. "_You don't want to grow up._" Maybe Rico was right. Maybe Private was only accepting this treatment from his two superiors just because he felt weak, young, insignificant, and their treatment made him feel safe. Maybe it made him felt like he belonged.

Or maybe it was time to man up. After all, Private wasn't a child. He deserved the same rights that Kowalski and Rico received from Skipper. It was time to stand up for himself, he thought.

He calmed down the second his head started throbbing. A deep pain from deep inside that almost made him cringe with each passing heartbeat rocked him for a few moments, and he found it hard to breathe. Unsure of weather or not it was because of his scar or he just had a bad headache, he tried to redirect his attention to Skipper.

"So, Private," the leader began, crossing his flippers and looking directly into his face. "In light of your recent spree of insubordination, Kowalski and I have come to a conclusion. We think it would be best for this entire operation of you were discharged immediately."

Private knew that was what he was going to say. He was already so angry that he didn't even care. He thought that his heart would drop or his gut would twist up at a moment like that, but neither of those things happened. He was shaking so badly already that he just refocused on the ground and tried his best to remain calm.

Rico was the one who gasped. Standing up, he wheeze, "_Skippwah. Why kick Private_?"

"Now that the people are gone we need to work double time to keep things in order. Private here isn't helping any by spreading rumors around about mass absorptions. He is nothing but hindrance to this team."

Private winced as Skipper said mass absorptions. The way he said it was almost in a facetious tone, like he was mocking the entire idea of it. Like he was already blowing it off like he didn't believe it had actually happened. Like all of the talks that they had on the bunker over the last few months didn't mean a thing.

Skipper turned back to Private, his brow lowered. "So, Private. It pains me to say this, but..."

That was all Private could take. He jumped up and got directly into Skipper's face, his vision already beginning to cloud from the tears of anger that filled his eyes. Skipper didn't even seem to flinch at Private's gesture, and narrowed his eyes.

"_It pains you_?" Private hissed. "If this _pained_ you so bad, Skippah, you wouldn't be doing it. You know why I told Marlene and Julien about what happened. They deserved to know, they really did, and now you're just blowing everything off because it's easier to forget it ever happened. Aren't you?"

Skipper didn't respond. Kowalski and Rico didn't make a noise. "Aren't you?" Private repeated.

"You know the animals of the zoo are very unpredictable. We need to ease them into this idea of a world without humans, and you know that Julien is a loudmouth with no sense of caution," Skipper explained.

"They fought Sarge with us, Skippah," Private countered, "they _almost died_ to help us. Why are you so afraid of the zoo animals, anyway? Don't you think we could use their help to get things going now that the people are gone?"

"I thought the same thing last time, then they all went nuts and we almost lost the zoo. Do you want that to happen again?" Skipper said, his volume rising.

Private clenched his fists. "Loose _what_ zoo, Skippah? There is no zoo. We're on our own here, now. You remember what the Sun said."

"I don't care what the Sun said," shot Skipper.

"What? That's impossible..."  
>"Private!" the leader shouted, now standing straight. "You will speak only when spoken to."<p>

Private narrowed his eyes. "According to you and Kowalski, I am not longer yours to command. _So get over it_."

Skipper clenched his beak and Private immediately recognized the condescending movement of his left flipper. Private wasn't about to get slapped again tonight. As the leader raised his flipper up to deliver the painful blow onto his specialist, Private's vision blacked out for a few moments.

Not thinking and shaking horribly from anger, Private jabbed his own flipper forward. It found a sweet spot directly in Skipper's diaphragm and the leader wheezed before lowering his flipper and stumbling backwards.

Kowalski already had Private's flippers held back when the small bird realized what he had done. He had openly struck his leader, his brother, his friend. He just opened the same wounds that he did on Kowalski when he attacked the tall bird in his sleep.

Private didn't regret it in the slightest. If Skipper was going to exert his dominance by constantly slapping him, he was going to show his rebellion by punching the flat-headed leader in the chest. He would have done it again if Kowalski wasn't holding him back.

Skipper rubbed the spot where Private nailed him, his face contorted with some sort of anger Private hadn't seen out of his leader since he looked upon Sarge.

"Kowalski, hold him down," Skipper commanded.

"Sir?" the intellectual responded, his grip on Private's flippers tightening ever so slightly.

"You heard me. Hold him down," Skipper repeated, rubbing his flippers together like he was warming them up.

Private felt himself get forced to the concrete below him, Kowalski's superior strength overcoming his struggling flippers. In his struggling Private slipped and his face crashed against the cold concrete, making his vision spin a little bit.

He suddenly felt a need to escape from the tall bird's flippers, like they were restraining him for some impending reason. He couldn't have been more right as Skipper's flipper drove into the back of his skull.

The pain was unreal. Private closed his eyes as he felt his beak grind against the concrete. There was a sensation of tearing and an incredible pain through his face. Moments later his face grew warm and slippery and he knew his scar had ripped open again, pouring blood onto the concrete below him.

He heard Rico blabbering something and Skipper grunting. He managed to look up, closing his left eye as the blood stung at it, and saw Rico holding Skipper's quivering flipper back. Skipper's beak was twisted into a grim scowl, his eyes glazed over like he was looking at his greatest enemy.

Private found Kowalski's grip lessening on his flippers and he forced the tall bird off of himself, immediately pulling himself up and pressing his flipper to his face. It was slick and he knew the wound was bad, just like it had been when Sarge had first cut him with the knife.

Skipper was still grunting as Rico managed to hold him back. "Get him out of here before I kill him," he shot, glaring Private down.

Private saw Kowalski move for him but he jumped out of the way, making his way towards the secret exit. He pried open the trophy and stood in the entrance, staring directly at Skipper.

"I can't believe you would do this," he said. "I can't believe you'd do this after everything I've done for you. Taking on Sarge, saving Manfredi's ass. Acting like your little messenger boy so you know exactly what the Sun is telling me and then not even caring about it anyway. Trying to make it up to Kowalski when he doesn't give a bloody crap about me.

"You know what, Skippah? You're a selfish, coldhearted dictator. I'm more than happy to be leaving, as long as it means getting away from you and that crybaby."

Private pointed at Kowalski on his last words and the intellectual stopped in his tracks. Skipper, too, seemed to have froze at Private's words and was no longer struggling against Rico. Private spun at that point and slammed the trophy door behind him as he left.

He wiped his flipper across his face, smearing blood, mucus, and tears all along his feathers. He didn't care. He just needed to get as far as physically possible away from those birds. They didn't care about him. Kowalski wanted him to leave ever since the fight, ever since Private had said those hurtful things about Doris. The scientist had convinced Skipper of the same thing, telling his leader that the Sun's prophesy was completely idiotic.

The air felt icy cold on his moist feathers as he emerged into the night from the secret tunnel. He pressed his flipper to his scar momentarily and despite the sharp pain it sent through him, felt fresh blood there. It was still bleeding pretty badly.

He was still so angry at Skipper that his breaths were coming in short, exasperated gasps and his entire body was quivering. He clenched and unclenched his flippers a few times, trying to calm himself down. It didn't work. He still couldn't believe Skipper had actually ordered Kowalski to hold him down so that he could pummel him.

That was just... low. Dirty. Grueling. Wretched.

Private knew Kowalski enjoyed watching, too. Kowalski was so filled with hate at everything in the whole damn world that he enjoyed watching his smaller teammate take the business end of Skipper's fist. That was why he so willingly slammed Private to the ground when Skipper ordered.

And Skipper? Just the thought of that bird's glistening blue orbs sent shivers of pain and hatred through Private's spine. Just a few days ago Private had thought Skipper was the only penguin in the world he could talk to. He saw now that he was terribly wrong; Skipper was the dead opposite of that.

The question was now, who _could_ he talk to? His mind drifted to the only two animals that came with them to Antarctica and he set a direct course to Marlene and Julien's habitat. He was sure that they wouldn't mind him dropping by so late at night, considering the situation. Maybe Marlene would even have something for his wound, which continued to sting his eye with fresh blood.

Blood mixed with tears. The resulting combination invoked a specific kind of emotion. Something Private was growing increasingly used to experiencing.

He found himself walking across the main square of the zoo in front of the gate. He was waddling near the fountain when a loud crashing noise startled him and he jumped behind it for cover. He wasn't sure at all where the noise had come from and he waited for the sound of grinding metal to stop before peeking over the top of the concrete edge of the fountain.

What he saw before him was a red van, the kind the humans used to make deliveries. He saw the main, chain-link gate of the zoo in a crumpled mess in front of the van. It had obviously been used to barrel down the gate in order to gain access inside. The doors of the van opened and two men stepped out.

But that didn't make any sense. At least Private didn't think it did. The Sun had said that _all_ the humans would be absorbed in the mass assimilation; not a single one should have been spared. So why were these two humans still present, and why were they crashing into the zoo so late at night?  
>"You know, X, you could have just used the key Alice gave you," said the stout man in a suit.<p>

X. Alice. The man in the suit. Suddenly Private realized who the man now standing across from the stout man, inspecting the front of the van was. It was Officer X, the one Alice had told them about moments before she was assimilated. The one that Kowalski claimed had killed Doris and was now after him.

Out of all the people in the world, Kowalski's greatest fear survived. And he was here tonight on what looked like important business. Private briefly recalled his fight with Kowalski that day on the surface of the HQ, Kowalski rejecting his apologies, Kowalski crying because of how afraid he was, Skipper taking Kowalski's side and pummeling him into the concrete.

Private smiled.


	25. A Falling Out

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 24 – A Falling Out<strong>

**IT WAS HORRIBLY QUIET**.

Normally, Alexander wouldn't be upset by the lack of din. He actually quite enjoyed silence, and the endless quiet that now enveloped the city around him should have had a welcome presence. No annoying car alarms, no pointless chatter from pedestrians, no construction noise. Just the tiny noise of the gentle nighttime breeze shuffling the leaves on the trees and his own footsteps.

Normally, he would have loved it. The situation called for him to be on edge, however. New York was the city that never slept. The impenetrable silence had no place in the middle of Central Park.

X had hoped they would find some signs of people who had survived the... whatever it was that happened, but there was not a single person to be found. Just a lot of crashed cars and piles of clothes. The clothes lined every street, filled every restraint patio, rested on the seat of every smashed automobile. It was like everyone vanished instantly, and they didn't bring their belongings with.

X was seriously considering the idea of the Rapture. Andrew had a different idea in mind.

"You know," he said, "I was really expecting us to see some zombies by now. They should come out at night, right?"  
>X crossed his arms. "This ain't a movie."<p>

"I know, I know," returned the stout man, "but it looks just like one, doesn't it? Abandoned city with no explanation, not a single soul around."

The businessman looked around him like he was expecting some of the flesh-eating monsters to jump out from nowhere. If they did, X would have honestly not be surprised. If something as idiotic as the Rapture had come true, than maybe a zombie apocalypse was also possible.

He removed his sunglasses and peered into the night, looking for movement. The lights had been off for some time, he could tell, and the entire zoo was covered in shadow. His trained eyes could still make out familiar shapes such as the habitat boundaries, trashcans, and benches, the fountain in the middle of the entrance square. Besides that it was almost like he was blind.

He saw a flash of movement come from behind the fountain and directed his eyes to its source. There was a shadow moving swiftly across the pavement. In a flash it jumped behind the corner of a small wall and was gone. X gritted his teeth. The penguins were already out and were aware of the missing people, it seemed.

"Alice should be around here somewhere," Andrew stated, squinting his eyes to peer into the darkness.

X didn't respond. He merely walked around to the back of the van and opened it, pulling a hand held spotlight from the door. He flicked the switch on and the light blinked to life, revealing more information about the situation.

Andrew gasped when the light fell onto a pile of clothes just outside the penguin's habitat. The stout man moved with unbelievable speed over to the cloth and picked it up in his hands. He pried something off of the shirt and held it up for X to see. His voice was a little shaky as he said, "These are Alice's clothes."

X nodded. He wasn't surprised that the redhead had disappeared at all. After all, she seemed to be worthy of the Rapture, unlike himself and Mr. Green.

Andrew looked curiously down at the name tag in his hand and said, "Why would Alice leave her clothes just laying in the middle of the zoo?"

X was tired of his nativity. "She's gone, dumbass."

Andrew glanced up at him, his glasses reflecting the bright light from the spotlight. He paused a moment, and then countered, "No. She must be around here somewhere."

The large man walked over to the businessman and picked up the khaki colored baseball cap, holding up for Andrew to see. "Read my lips. She. Is. Gone. Just like everyone else."

"But... but," Andrew stuttered.

X began to shine the light around the zoo, looking for signs of movement. He saw several of the animals in their habitats. They were all almost staring at him. Some seemed to look curious, some seemed to look angry. Then X realized something. The animals had been unaffected by whatever took all the people.

Suddenly the idea of the Rapture was fitting the case.

"Where did she go? Where did everyone go?" Andrew continued, rubbing Alice's shirt between his fingers.

X knew he couldn't tell Andrew about his theory. If the sly con-artist knew that X was even considering a religious explanation, he would use it as a weak point for more badgering. X was already past his breaking point with the man, and he didn't think he could put up with much more. The only reason he was keeping his cool was because of the CIES. At this point, though, he was considering giving that up. The device wouldn't be useful anyway if there was nobody to survey with it.

"Beats me," he offered.

"Its like they just up and vanished, leaving all of their belongings where they last stood. Like some powerful energy went through this place and just..." Mr. Green's words trailed off as he tapped his chin.

"What?" asked X.

"I... I've seen this before. You'll think I'm crazy, but I know what happened."

"Go on," urged the big man. Whatever the businessman had to say wasn't going to be any more crazy than his own theory.

Andrew then spun a fabrication of some of the craziest things X had ever heard of. The idea of him going to Antarctica in pursuit of the penguins he was now supposed to be protecting was completely crazy. The supposed fact that there was supposed to be a massive temple there that contained some ancient artifact called the Sun was even more idiotic. The idea that the artifact had the ability to absorb human beings was not even worth considering.

"It's true," insisted Andrew. "I saw someone disappear right in front of my eyes after he got hit by this big ball of energy. Then, all that was left was his clothes."

"I'll believe it when I see it," X returned.

"Me too," affirmed the businessman. "That energy that vaporized that one man was not very large. It wouldn't have the ability to take out a whole city like this. Something bigger must have happened."

X nodded. There a was a pause of silence for a moment, and then he said, "You're taking the fact that your fiance just got zapped pretty well."

Andrew closed his eyes quickly, tightening his fists at X's words. It was like he felt a massive pang of sadness that overtook his whole body. X was actually surprised when he just fell to the ground after that moment. He didn't really understand the man's feelings.

Officer X had never gotten attached to anyone. He knew that everyone around him and everyone he was associated with was always at a risk of death because of him. He knew that the people he associated himself with wouldn't be above ordering him to kill his best friend or his lover. That was why he was such a loner in his little house in the suburb. Every relationship he had was purely business, and that was all.

When Andrew quivered on the ground as rolling sobs overtook him, it almost sickened him. It reminded him too much of some of the people he had shot, pleading for their lives. This was a slightly different kind of crying though, mournful and not begging for mercy. He found himself feeling very uncomfortable and he stepped away from Andrew, letting him have a few moments alone as he grasped the clothing that he was now laying on.

That was why X never got emotionally attached to anyone or anything. Life was just too unpredictable.

He walked slowly over to the penguin habitat and shined his light in. To his surprise he saw three of the four penguins he was assigned to protect. His eyes immediately found the tall bird from the facility those ten years ago. It took a few steps back from him as he leaned over the railing before dropping its clipboard entirely and bolting down the penguins' trapdoor.

X not getting attached to anything didn't just include love. It is easy to hate things in the world, to be so consumed by anger at a particular thing that its impossible to see the good in it. X knew that. That's why he never held a grudge; never hated anything. Work was work.

He was glad he didn't hate the bird. He could have never predicted that he would be ordered to protect the same bird he was trying to kill ten years ago.

Then again, there wasn't anything saying he needed to protect the birds. The poachers he was supposed to be defending them against probably didn't even exist anymore, based on the lack of evidence of any people still existing besides himself and Mr. Green. He didn't even really want the CIES anymore, so why was he still here?

Should he leave? He could certainly tell it would make that tall penguin happy. The way it bolted from him each time he looked at it; he knew that it was still terrified of him. There were a lot of people in the world who were terrified of him, though. One penguin didn't make much of a difference.

He glanced for a moment at the other two penguins. The one with the flat head was scowling at him profusely, his eyes narrowed. The large, scarred one was looking at him with what could only be curiosity. It was strange to think that the birds were actually expressing emotions, but X only got the feeling that they too hated him as they lowered themselves back into their concrete home.

Did the tall bird tell his new friends about X? Was that even possible? X wasn't so sure.

The large man turned back around and saw that Green had composed himself a bit and was now folding Alice's clothes into a neat little pile.

The stout businessman sniffled and asked, "What now?"

* * *

><p>Private was beginning to feel a little lightheaded as he approached Marlene's habitat. It was either because of the blood loss from his reopened scar or the realization of what had actually just happened moments ago.<p>

It had all happened so fast that Private was having a hard time believing it was actually true. Was he really kicked off the team? He found himself wishing with all of his being that it wasn't true. But it was. He was no longer part of the quartet that he had found family in for the last two years.

The physical proof of that realization was not nearly as powerful as the emotional impact that came with it. As he waddled ever closer to Marlene and Julien's habitat, Private felt his anger waning and felt it overcome with different feelings. Hurt, betrayal, desperation, depression. Overarching sadness. By the time he reached the entrance to the small mammal exhibit he was choking back tears.

His flippers no longer quivered from tenseness and his headache had faded away into nothing. His scar still stung with unbelievable pain, but it wasn't the hot burning that had existed when he had been in the bunker. Overall his body felt exhausted and he couldn't get his mind off of the knowledge that Skipper was now practically his enemy.

For the last year he had done nothing but look up to the flat-headed penguin for guidance. Ever since Private had been taken forcibly to America from his parents in Britain he had needed some sort of leader figure. Skipper had taken that role, and now he had ruined that bond entirely. It made Private wince as he thought about it.

He had felt the same way when he punched Skipper in the gut as when he pushed Kowalski in the water. Like he wanted nothing more than to hurt the flat-headed penguin. Like the only thing that satisfied him was knowing the bird across from him was in pain. Pain equal to what he was feeling.

Skipper wasn't like Kowalski. Kowalski was passive aggressive and did not retaliate immediately to Private's act of violence. The tall bird only repressed the action, held it against Private in everything he did from that point on. Skipper was different. He suffered from the same anger issues that Private was now experiencing.

That was why Skipper had pummeled him to the concrete of the HQ. Skipper didn't take well to being spoken down to by the birds he was supposed to be leading. He was probably molded that way from his time in the Penguin Army. Private wished he had seen that before his sudden outburst. Maybe then he could have taken his dishonorable discharge with more pride and not destroyed the bond that he and Skipper shared.

Private had reached the entrance to Marlene and Julien's drainage pipe. He saw a flickering, orange light coming from inside and new that they were awake. He was thankful, he didn't want to just barge in while they were sleeping, bleeding everywhere. He leaned quietly against the entrance of the pipe and took a few breaths, trying to compose himself.

He tried wiping the tears that were now streaking down his feathers away but wound up only making them more messy by spreading the crimson liquid around his beak more. He decided to take a moment and use Marlene's pool to clean his face before he entered and tried to explain why his scar had been reopened.

He waddled over to the pool and knelt before it, using feeling a little better as the cold water splashed off his watertight feathers. It dripped off his beak and chin, taking the red stains with it. He splashed some into his eyes to clear them and then tried to clean his wound a bit.

He blinked a few times to clear his eyes, using his flippers to wipe the excess water from his face. He felt a little better already, but one thought about Skipper almost brought him to tears all over again. He shook his head gently before turning.

He was caught off guard as Julien barreled him down. The two of them tumbled and fell into the pool, rolling over each other. They splashed into the pool and Private felt the water go up his nose and into his mouth. He struggled to break the surface and pulled himself to the edge of the pool, coughing.

Julien was as equally surprised. He had tried to vault over the pool but instead ran smack into Private. He pulled himself out of the water and wiped his face, shaking some of the dripping water from his fur.

"Julien?" Private asked as he too pulled himself back out of the water.

Julien didn't say anything and only looked at Private with his massive, hazel eyes. After a few moments Julien reached out and touched the side of Private's face, and Private winced. He felt the blood he had received on his fingertips for a moment and then raced away from him, pushing his way through the animal-sized door in the wall.

Private knew immediately why he was running. The fight between Marlene and Julien he had walked in on earlier that day. It must have escalated into something much more serious than little paintings and broken blenders. Forgetting about his own problems for a minute, he made new haste and entered the drainage pipe.

He wasn't surprised when he saw Marlene kneeling in the center of the room, crying with her face in her hands. A ring of ruined junk was surrounding her. Private noted the smashed fruit on the walls. The ruined painting from before now was completely shredded. Julien's blender was smashed in the corner. The blankets were strewn sloppily everywhere and the few pieces of Marlene's furniture were upturned.

Marlene hadn't noticed him enter, so he quietly slipped into the room and grabbed the closest rag he could find. It was soaked in what he presumed was liquified mango, but it did its job of stemming the flow of blood from his face. He tiptoed towards Marlene after that point, not wanting to startle her.

"Marlene?" he said, trying to gently get the otter's attention.

Immediately the otter's face shot up and Private's heart skipped a beat. Her blank eyes, narrowed at him, her bared teeth, her claws fully drawn. She was completely feral—a problem the penguins she knew she has had for a long time. Private brought his flippers up to guard his face as she launched herself at him.

"Marlene! It's me, Private!" he cried desperately as he dodged her charge. She spun on the place and looked at him, a distinct look of bloodlust in her eyes. Private suddenly grew very fearful for his own safety as she charged at him again.

Thinking quickly he took a step back and then launched himself forward, jumping into the air. Marlene had gone low, and he found it easy to land on top of her and pin her arms to the ground. She struggled for a a few moments, but then her growls and snarls turned into a pitiful, choppy cry. Shortly after that she reverted back to her peaceful self.

Private pushed himself off of Marlene and then sat next to her before she crawled up into his arms. She was sobbing uncontrollably, her body going into intense shaking. Private wasn't sure what to do as he sat there but gently stroke her fur. He had lost the rag and he felt the blood from his wound start to streak down his cheek again but he didn't care.

They sat like that for a long time before Private finally felt Marlene calm down a bit, her breathing back under control. A few more moments and she was once again breathing softly, making small noises from time to time. Private let her lay in his lap for a few more minutes before he gently nudged her shoulder just to find out that she had fallen completely asleep.

He felt a little warmness grow inside him. The otter looked so peaceful in sleep, even with her tear-matted fur. Private completely forgot about his confrontation with Skipper as he stroked the otter's fur gently with his flipper.

Marlene had gone feral on Julien. Private hadn't the slightest why or how, since she had never lost it in the confines of the zoo before, but it had happened. The ruined home and Julien's fearful eyes were direct results of that. Now she had cried herself to sleep, knowing the damage she had just caused.

The confrontation came flying back. The damage she had caused, the damage he had caused. Irrevocable, unrepairable mistakes. Both of their lives had been thrown into turmoil and he didn't even know where to start thinking about it.

For now, it was his turn to cry.

He felt his eyes water and he completely lost it. He let his body fall into spasms as he leaned forward and cried into Marlene's fur, letting everything the had built up over the last few days spill out. He cried and cried until eventually he felt Marlene's arms wrap themselves around him and then he cried some more.

He knew his wound was dripping scarlet liquid onto Marlene but he didn't care. Just more blood, more tears. Skipper hated him. Kowalski hated him. All the humans were gone. The Sun wouldn't even explain to him what was going on. He was lost, confused, and completely broken.

Sleep was the only thing that took the pain away as he cried until, much like Marlene, he fell into his dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Extra midweek update! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter; you guys really motivated me to get this chapter done sooner. If you cried at the end, join the party. I cried writing it.

Anyway, here's the deal. So everyone's favorite evil dolphin will be appearing in this story in the next few chapters and he needs a first name. I figured I'd let you readers send in suggestions, and I will pick whatever is most creative or sounds the best.

So fill in the blank: _ "Flippy" Blowhole


	26. A Concept of Respect

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 25 – A Concept of Respect<strong>

**MR. GREEN BLINKED, THE LIGHT REFLECTING OFF HIS GLASSES.**

Officer X wasn't immediately sure how to respond to the stout man's question. It was clear that pretty much all of the humans in the entire world were gone. For some reason they had been spared. That must have meant that other people were still around, but as far as their search had shown, those people weren't in New York.

He was now faced with a decision. Stay at the zoo and uphold the contract he had originally formed with Andrew and Alice or just leave and try to make heads and tails of what the hell was going on. There wasn't much holding him in the zoo, just the promise of the CIES. He walked over to the van and opened the backdoor again, shining the light from his floodlight in.

"What are you doing?" Andrew asked, approaching him from behind. He didn't respond, and instead reached inside a container on the inside of the door and produced a small monitor.

It was the monitor that had been given to him by Alice only a few days ago during his briefing. He flicked a switch on its side and it turned on, immediately showing the inside of a dimly lit bunker. The only light source was a lantern on a central table, but it hardly was enough light for X to make out what the camera was looking at.

The source of the camera, of course, was in the head of that tall penguin. The one from the facility. Alice had told him that, but he hadn't realized it immediately. From the perspective the monitor gave X could see everything the bird saw and hear everything it heard. All of the birds had the CIES implanted in them; the technology that X was being promised by Andrew on successful completion of this job.

Currently on the screen it looked as though the tall penguin was staring down the flat-headed and the mohawked penguins. The flat-headed one was clicking something out intensely through its beak, while the mohawked one seemed to be nodding in response. The one with X's camera in it occasionally peered down at the clipboard in its flippers, and that's when X saw it.

The drawing of the dolphin. It was encompassed in a heart, and considering the penguin must have drawn it, was significantly detailed. He then remembered the raid on the facility those ten years ago and recalled the dolphins he had shot. There were six dolphins in total. As far as X knew, only one escaped, along with two of the six penguins that were involved.

He figured the drawing was probably of the one dolphin that escaped, like some sort of signal so X realized that the tall penguin was not alone. Kind of a far shot, considering X wasn't even sure if the penguins were aware that they had cameras in their heads, anyway. The penguin's next move, however, completely nullified that theory.

With fast, steady streaks of its pencil, the bird crossed off the dolphin, and X realized exactly which one the drawing was of. He had never thought a bird could express emotion, or even feel it for that matter, except for that one day. When he had shot that dolphin in cold blood and watched the blood bubble to the surface. The tall penguin had been there, and X was sure he saw a tear in its eye.

That was when his gun jammed and the bird got away, only to be brought together again here at the zoo. X couldn't believe it, though; the bird must have been close to the dolphin. That would explain its actions, the reason behind its fear and loathing. That and the fact that, if the penguins realized all people had disappeared, he was sitting in the zoo now.

He flicked off the monitor as Andrew asked him again, "So what are we going to do now?"  
>"This 'we' thing ain't working out," X responded simply, coaxing a grimace out of the other man.<p>

"What? Why?"

X shrugged. "You've got too much holding you back. If you're going to survive in this world, you're going to have to get rid of it. And me."

Andrew pushed his glasses up his nose. "Actually, considering the situation, I feel that we need to stick together. We would accomplish much more working together anyway. There must be other people still out there if we survived the Sun."  
>"I work much better alone," X countered. He then closed the door to the van and began moving towards the driver's cabin. He stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.<p>

"You can't go, though," argued the businessman. "You signed a contract with Alice and I to defend the zoo."

"From what? The poachers that don't exist anymore?" responded the massive man, shrugging off Andrew's shoulder.

"Well, yeah. However, we have already paid you so you're obligated to complete..."  
>X waved his hand and cut off the man. "Money ain't mean squat in a world with no people. You can have it back if you really want it."<p>

Andrew hesitated to respond. They both knew that they both had so much money before everyone disappeared that it didn't mean much to them even while it was worth something. Now it was better off as kindling than for its original purpose. Still, he found his words and offered, "If for nothing else, then please stick around for Alice. She'd give her life for this zoo... and well, she kind of did."

X thought about it for a moment. It was true that the crazy redhead was more dedicated to the zoo than anything X had ever seen before. Her tour around the zoo a couple of days ago had shown him that. She was so tedious and immaculate in how she ran her zoo that her love for it was shown tenfold through her actions alone.

For some reason, X found himself respecting that.

He always respected people who stood up for what the believed in. Maybe it was because it was more fun to take them down. Like that Neo-Nazi who managed to disarm him and stab him twice in the gut before X finally snapped his neck. Or that impeached senator who found it necessary to keep a gun under his pillow and had clipped X in the arm. Both of them had stood for what they believed in until their last breath.

Maybe that tall penguin could be alluded to the same thing. It was still drawing pictures of the dolphin on its clipboard, obviously still mourning the dolphin's death. X wasn't sure why exactly, but it was clear that the penguin was connected to the facility in more ways that he realized a stupid bird could be. He shook his head as he realized he was beginning to respect the bird he had just once been ordered to kill.

A strong soul at the very minimum, he thought.

He turned back around and looked Andrew, then said, "Fine. I'll uphold the contract."

The light in the man's eyes was unmistakeable. "Great! We should get some cameras set up immediately. I assume you've got some sort of portable generator in the car, and with that we should be able to power..."

He trailed off as X shook his head. "I'm still doing this alone."  
>The light faded from Andrew's face and on it he placed a grim look. "Fine. If you need me, I'll be checking on the animals."<p>

X nodded and the businessman walked away from him. He stopped briefly to pick up Alice's clothes, which now were laying in a neatly folded pile. Then he made his way to the office, jingling the keys that he must have found in one of the pockets on the khaki pants.

The large man scratched his beard and thought about Andrew. In the normal world he held enough power to destroy families just by firing the wrong employee. Now, he had absolutely nothing. His money was worthless, his surveillance empire empty with nobody to run it and nobody to benefit from it. For the first the X realized he now held the position of power, and Andrew had been trying to show him respect through his action ever since they left his house in the suburbs.

Respect was such a shaky idea. Like trust, it took ages to gain and seconds to loose. Maybe Andrew wasn't all that bad, he thought. Dedicated to his fiance even past her expiration. Realizing he was no longer top dog. Humble, in a way.

He walked around to the back of the van again, and flicked on the penguin monitor. The tall penguin seemed to have crawled into some sort of a dark space, or maybe the light that he had seen earlier had just been extinguished. Maybe they had gone to sleep, or maybe they were plotting something against him. Either way, he had a lot of work to do that night.

He grabbed a coil of wire and a black case from the inside of the van and walked off to the penguin exhibit.

* * *

><p>The purple eyes were back. They were hovering in the air, floating in the an endless abyss. Private felt disembodied as he watched them, like he was some kind of ghost just staring back at the orbs that pierced through him. He found himself unable to move, unable to breath, unable to do much but just stare.<p>

Suddenly, a light faded in from behind the eyes and he was able to make out the female penguin that he had seen carry him as a baby in the dream only about a week ago. She was considerably taller than him now, looking down at him with a warm smile. Her purple eyes were still as majestic as ever, glistening at him against the white snow behind her. He felt himself run forward and snuggle into her feathers.

She shoved him aside abruptly as he heard a strange, loud noise. He fell into a little alcove in the snow and she tumbled down on top of him, pulling him into her chest. He could feel her heart thumping against his own chest and chuckled until she shut his beak roughly, shushing him.

He saw the boat cross over the horizon.

The world around him faded into blackness again and he experienced the same, disembodied feeling. Just the purple eyes looking back at him, though not directly at him. More like at something behind him. He wanted to turn his head around and find out what, but couldn't.

The light returned and Private found himself huddled behind a pile of snow, peering out over the central square of the Penguin City. He saw the female penguin following a pair of other emperors, between them stretched a motionless body. He saw the scarlet liquid drip down to the snow from a puncture wound that seemed to pierce the penguin's entire body and shivered.

It left a strange trail of red behind the small group of emperors.

The motionless penguin was set down in the snow and the female looked over it, her eyes glistening with the same brilliance that they always seemed to possess. She ran her flipper over the penguin's wound and then spoke a simple word, "Gun."

The word bounced around Private from a dozen angles and he felt himself grow sick. The entire world began spinning before the word morphed itself into something entirely different. "Leopard Seal." Then he heard, "Caspian," which also distorted itself into "Leopard Seal."

He found himself running back into the blackness of the house behind him before the purple eyes formed in front of him again. This time, when the world faded back into lightness he saw her get struck by a dart and fall unconscious in the middle of the square. He felt a foreign feeling of rage inside of himself as he charged after her attacker, a tall man holding some sort of a firearm.

He found himself slipping into darkness before he even reached him and the purple eyes hovered before him again. This time, however, they faded to a pale gray before the light brought the next scene before Private's eyes.

He was trudging through the night, climbing a snowbank. Beside him he saw a tall emperor, but it wasn't the female from before. It was a new penguin, one with pale gray eyes that seemed to glisten in the same way that the purple ones did. On his other side he saw a penguin with ebony black feathers and red eyes.

He recognized him from Manfredi's story. Edgar.

The vision faded to black once again and when he entered the next stage of it he was standing in the middle of the antechamber. The Sun was hovering before him and his flippers were frozen around it like they wanted to take it but something was holding him back. He looked down and saw the decaying body of Manfredi at his feet and then felt a strange fear rising inside of him.

His flippers tensed up as the penguin with gray eyes snatched the Sun on the pedestal and the next thing Private knew she had placed it on the second one. His vision exploded into pure whiteness but it didn't hurt his eyes. The gray eyes came back to him but this time they were glistening with some surreal presence about them.

They were crying.

The body of the female who moved the Sun formed in front of him and wiped her eye on her flipper. "Dmitri," she said to him. "Banar and Melanda only wanted to protect you."

"No!" He shouted back, not in control of his own actions. "They wanted to withhold me from Manfredi!"

"Manfredi was crazy," she argued.

Private felt his flippers tighten again and he lunged forward, shoving his fist into the penguin in front of him. She fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious as he felt himself begin to shake uncontrollably.

Her body liquified after that moment. Turned entirely to metallic, crimson blood. It puddled around his webbed feet and it took him a few minutes to realize that it was dripping down his face, too.

He was crying blood.

* * *

><p>Private shot straight up, his heart pounding in his chest as he gripped it tightly. A burning pain existed there, like he had been straining his lungs with screaming. He felt light headed for a moment and fell backwards again, landing on something soft.<p>

He blinked a few times as he saw a blurry face above him. The misconstrued lines materialized into a familiar face as he felt a dull pain in the back of his head. Marlene was looking down at him with deep concern on her face, a blood soaked rag in her paw.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think," Private responded, then closed his eyes again.

"What did you dream?"

The round penguin took a deep breath, then said, "I know who got rid of all of the people. And how."

At the otter's confused look, he said, "It was Manfredi's son."

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>I appologize for the recap of what you already knew in Private's dream at the end. I needed for Private to gain that knowledge somehow.

Thanks to everyone for thier input on first names for Dr. Blowhole. With some discussion from some friends I've settled on **GoTeamSkipper**'s idea of **Emillio "Flippy" Blowhole**. It just seemed to fit! He will be appearing in the next few chapters, so be sure to check back.


	27. A New Goal

******PART II**

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 26 – A New Goal**

**"ARE YOU SURE?"**

Marlene said it almost stupidly, like she already knew the answer. Still, Private nodded slowly and sat up, lifting himself off of the otter's lap. He felt a bit dizzy, no doubt from the blood loss from his reopened scar. He touched it gingerly and was happy to conclude that it had finally stopped bleeding.

"But how? Why?" Marlene wondered.

"I don't know," responded the small bird. "But in the dream, I was him... Manfredi's son, I mean. I didn't actually cause the mass absorption, though. It was some emperor penguin with gray eyes."

Marlene pulled herself off of the cold concrete, tossing the bloodied rag she was still holding to the side. She sat on her stone bed and fiddled with her blanket before asking, "That doesn't really change anything, does it?"

"What do you mean?"  
>"It's already done, right? The mass absorption. Knowing that Manfredi's son was involved won't bring the people back."<p>

"I suppose your right," said Private dimly.

A few moments of silence passed before Marlene spoke again. "Do you think there is any way we'll get the people back?"  
>At that point Private realized that he had completely forgotten to tell the otter about the rest of the Sun's prophesy. About how it had told him that the only way to bring the people back was for Kowalski to sacrifice himself in some unknown way. He racked his brain for a moment, trying to recall anything from the dream that would signify what had to be done. Nothing came up, and he gave his head a gentle shake.<p>

He took a moment to explain to Marlene the second half of the prophesy, and see didn't seem to upset by it. It could have been because she was relieved there was actually a way to bring the people back, but Private knew it was because she was already too emotionally exhausted from the previous night to care.

"So Kowalski's the key," repeated Marlene thoughtfully.

"Yeah," affirmed the penguin. "And I know this is going to sound kind of crazy, but I'm supposed to be the one to convince him to go through with it."

Marlene blinked at him a few times as she took in his statement. "You're supposed to tell your friend that he needs to kill himself?"

Private nodded slowly. He looked towards the ground as a pang of regret and a burning anger bubbled up from inside him. The wounds from the previous night were still too fresh to be talking about them.

Marlene helped by not asking about what happened. She saw his scar last night, though. Reopened and gushing blood just like the fresh, emotional wounds that had been inlaid on Private by Skipper. That was enough to tell the story. Instead, she said, "Maybe it was never meant to be. Bringing the people back."

"The Sun seemed concerned enough about it," countered Private. "The last time I talked to him he was tired and genuinely upset that the absorption was about to happen. That was right before it did, too."  
>Marlene continued twisting the blanket between her paws as though it comforted her. "So you think that it was relying on you to do this for it?"<p>

"Exactly. That's what it told me. I was supposed to be the messenger boy. Kowalski was the one that was supposed making the big sacrifice here."

"How were you supposed to rationalize with Kowalski when you didn't even know what he was supposed to do? Doesn't the Sun know what kind of guy Kowalski is?"

"No. It didn't even know Kowalski's name. Or the time and date of the absorption. Its actually all pretty stupid."

"Don't say that," Marlene told him.

"It is, though. Kowalski and I were already on shaky ground, and then I was expected to just waddle in there and tell him that he needed to die to save everyone? It's no wonder I failed," Private argued, looking sadly at the ground.

"You didn't fail." The otter was obviously trying to cheer him up. "I mean, the Sun didn't give you a time frame, did it? You've probably got as much time as you need to find out what needs to be done and regain Kowalski's trust.."

Private thought back to the tall bird. Each time he did, he felt a stronger and stronger feeling of hatred boiling inside of him. At first he was afraid that he was growing such disdain for his comrade, but now he was welcoming it.

Kowalski was the bird that had backstabbed Skipper and almost joined Sarge in the antechamber because he felt it was the easier way out. Kowalski was the bird that was so enveloped by his past and his lost love that he let it consume him altogether, to the point where he wouldn't even accept Private's apologies for the mean things he had said. Kowalski was the bird that broke down into a shriveling coward just because a scary figure from that past returned to haunt him. Kowalski was the bird that held him down while Skipper pummeled him into the concrete...

For all Private cared, Kowalski could go to hell. He thought about Alice and how she had saved him when he got trapped in Marlene's habitat during open hours. She had scolded him, yes, but she also forgave him. Forgiveness was something that he had always dished out so readily to the tall penguin. Why couldn't he receive any in return? Even when he tried his absolute hardest to make things right?

"No, no," he murmured as he broke his thoughts. At some point he had stood, and was looking at the bloodstained bandage. Blood and tears. "It's too late to gain his trust. We're finished. The team is finished. I'm on my own now."

Marlene was still twisting the blanket in her paws. She looked up as Private spoke, her eyes glossy with exhaustion. As if she knew the hopelessness of the situation she asked, "How are we supposed to get the people back, then?"  
>Private thought about this for a moment. He was supposed to convince the most hard-hearted animal in the world that his life wasn't worth more than all of the humans on the planet. That was something that was going to be impossible. Then it hit him. Private knew of something that wouldn't be impossible.<p>

"When I find out how Kowalski is supposed to bring the people back, I'm going to force him to do it." The bird's words rolled out of his beak slowly, darkly. A hollow sound from the shattered remains of a once compassionate penguin.

Another moment of quietness passed between the two of them. The only noise was the slight shuffling of Marlene's fur against the blanket in her arms. Finally, she asked, "What if that means that you will have to kill him yourself?"  
>Private looked back at the ground. "I'll do it," he replied simply.<p>

Marlene didn't counter him. Private was unsure why; he was talking about murdering his once good friend. Marlene didn't have anything against Kowalski, so wouldn't she have to stop him? Maybe it was because she trusted the Sun's words, even relayed through Private. Maybe she wanted the people back as bad as Private did. Or maybe she was just being naïve.

That was the end of their discussion for the morning. Private thought for a moment about bringing up Julien, but then decided not to. Marlene had been kind enough not to ask about what happened in the HQ, so he wasn't going to ask what happened here. At least not yet, anyway.

Upon stepping out of the drainage pipe, Private saw that it was very early in the morning. The gray sky had just begun to illuminate the silent, abandoned city. It was then that he saw Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico.

Rico was holding a large pair of sheers in his flippers, and each time Skipper signaled him, was cutting a thick, black cable that had been strung up around the Penguin's HQ. Private followed the cables up to certain areas where disguised, but not invisible cameras were perched. He then saw Officer X chase after the three penguins, shaking his fist in the air. Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico lauched themselves cleanly into the penguins' habitat again, avoiding the dark man's clutches.

That's when Private realized he was on a timer. Officer X, the dark man with the gun from Kowalski's past who had slaughtered Doris the dolphin, was also after the tall bird. The man seemed to be biding his time right now, moving cautiously, setting up cameras. If he was here for Kowalski, it would only be a matter of time before he got what he wanted.

Private would have to be first. He clenched his beak and summed up what he needed to do. First find out what the hell the Sun needed Kowalski to do. Delay the dark man long enough so that he could. When he did, force Kowalski into it.

That last part was a little intimidating, he thought. It wasn't going to be easy. At the very minimum, Skipper was going to prevent him from putting Kowalski to his death. Rico probably would to. He wondered for a moment how in the world he was going to overpower the two of them and at the same time capture Kowalski.

He thought back to Gier, the small rockhopper that was one of Sarge's henchmen. That bird had a penguin sized rifle. It would be a ton easier if he had a gun.

Would he be above shooting Skipper to get to Kowalski? Right now, he wouldn't even hesitate to pull the trigger. Maybe that was just because his thoughts were clouded by hurt from the previous night, though.

He waddled back into the drainage pipe home, thinking about ways to carry out his new plan. He needed to know what it was that Kowalski was supposed to do before he could prepare much, but at least he could figure out a way to get to the intellectual.

When he waddled back into the main room of the otter's home, she was cleaning up the mess from before. He grabbed a new rag and began wiping some dried mango off the wall. She glanced up at him but let him continue working. They both knew that Private was going to be staying here for a long time, so the least he could do was help clean it up.

The rest of the day went by slowly. Private and Marlene didn't talk much, and for the most part all they did was lounge around the cave. It didn't take long to get it cleaned up, and besides helping Marlene carry a few of Julien's items outside to set on the grass, it wasn't hard work.

Periodically Private waddled out to see what his ex-teammates and the dark man were up to. He felt compelled to keep a watchful eye on them, just to make sure that Officer X wasn't getting ahead of him and going after Kowalski immediately. Instead, the three penguins and the dark man just kind of spent the day looking at each other. There were a few small altercations—the worst of which involving Rico hitting Officer X in the shin with a hammer—but other than that they were just sort of sizing each other up.

The man in the business suit came by at some point during the day and dropped off a few clams for Marlene. He didn't seem to know Private was there, and though Marlene offered him a few of the mollusks, he turned them down. He doubted the gooey innards of the clams were any good for him, anyway.

He wasn't going to go hungry, though. He hadn't eaten much in the previous day and he was seriously regretting that fact. A whole day without nourishment was beginning to settle in on his already fragile psyche, and he worked up the courage to return to the HQ to get some dinner. Skipper wouldn't deny him food, would he?

He let Marlene know his plan before he made his way over to the penguin HQ. On his way he noted that the businessman was busy tending to each of the habitats, giving each animal their appropriate food supplies for the day. He was glad that Alice had taken the time to show him how to feed the animals, otherwise that responsibility would have come down to the penguins. And they were a bit distracted at the moment.

He glanced over at the lemur habitat as he approached the penguin's enclosure. He made direct eye contact with Julien, who was sitting on his throne on the top of his lookout rock. He had his tail wrapped around himself and was perfectly still, sort of like a statue overlooking the zoo. It wasn't until Maurice offered him a piece of fruit that he pull his eyes away from Private. The small bird redirected his attention to what he had come to do.

Steeling himself for what he knew might come, he vaulted over the fence and into the water. He wiped some of the water off of his feathers before opening the fishbowl hatch and entering the dimly lit bunker. He had nearly expected Skipper's commanding tone the moment he did so, but instead he was greeted with Rico's hoarse blabbering.

"_Private? What do here?_" Rico was sitting in the corner of the HQ. He had what looked like a smashed camera in his flippers but other than that was completely alone. There was no sign of Skipper or Kowalski.

Private smiled slightly. He didn't want to deal with them right now. "Just came back for some dinner," he explained.

Rico seemed to perk up a bit and tossed the fried piece of electronics to the side. He jumped up and made a direct shot for the penguins' refrigerator. He opened it and pulled out a few fish before waddling over to Private and handing them to him.

"Thanks, Rico," offered the smaller bird. He put the fish under his wing and then made his way back to the ladder.

"_Private,_" Rico spoke suddenly, making the small bird turn back around. He saw the maniacal penguin with a look of sadness on his face, twiddling his flippers. "_You come back team?_"

Private realized at that moment that Rico was nearly as hurt about his discharge as he was. Then again, the big bird had come to love each of his teammates like family. It wasn't a surprise that the only thing he wanted was for everyone to be back in the same unit and for the fighting to stop. Unfortunately, the chances of that were long gone.

When Private shook his head, the look of disappointment on Rico's face was unmistakeable. "I'm not part of this team anymore," he said. Something inside of him wanted to let Rico know that he still wanted to uphold their brotherhood, but he didn't let it out of his beak. If he was going to be causing Kowalski's demise, he knew building any further connection with the scarred bird was a bad choice.

Then he might hesitate when it came time to pull the trigger, and that might give Rico the chance to knock the rifle out of his flippers.

Rico looked sadly towards the ground and said, "_Dark man. He not want Kowalski_."  
>"What makes you think that?"<br>Rico gestured to the smashed camera. "_He just want to observe_."

"I wouldn't be so confident," Private said.

Rico paused, then said, "_Skipper want all camera broken._"

"No doubt. Skipper's so paranoid about protecting K'walski that he'll want to make sure Officer X doesn't get any advantage. He's probably so worried for K'walski that he probably already forgot about..."  
>Private's voice trailed off as the hatch to the secret entrance opened. "Forgot about what, Private?" inquired Skipper as he hopped out of the hole in the wall, closely followed by Kowalski.<p>

Private made sure not to even focus his eyes on the tall bird. The last thing he wanted was any sight to make him not want to go through with the plan he had made earlier in the day. Instead, he looked at Skipper and offered, "That I didn't have any fish. Just dropped by to pick up some dinner, as all."

Skipper lowered his brow and crossed his flippers like he wasn't satisfied. "You are no longer authorized to be in this room."

Private had to stop himself from tensing up. He needed to stay as calm as possible right now; fighting again would only bring more pain.

"So what do you expect me to do for food?" He asked.

Skipper glanced at the fish under Private's wing and then at Rico. "Rico will bring you daily rations," he instructed.

"Sounds like plan," returned the smaller bird before wasting no time on climbing the ladder and getting out of the HQ. When he was just about to pull himself back onto the surface he remembered his dream about Manfredi's son.

Following his sudden urge to relay that information to Skipper he looked back down and told him, "By the way. Manfredi's son is alive. His name is Dmitri, in case you wanted to know."

He closed the fishbowl quickly after himself, knowing that leaving Skipper with just that vague sentence was just as terrible as when he punched him in the gut. Skipper had been closer to Manfredi than any of them, and he, like Manfredi, had thought the robot-penguin's son was long departed. Leaving him with the simple knowledge that the bird was still alive would mess with Skipper's sanity on a deep level.

He figured it was a good idea to put Skipper on shaky ground so that when he did need to get around his ex-leader to get to Kowalski, it would be much easier.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>So I noticed that the end of last chapter was a great point to cut the book in half and with this chapter we'll be starting part 2. Lots of action is to come, so please check back!


	28. A Militia of Visitors

**The Power of Silence**

**Chapter 27 – A Militia of Visitors**

** PRIVATE HAD EXPECTED SKIPPER TO ASK HIM MORE ABOUT DMITRI.**

The small bird didn't even plan on finishing his dinner in peace before the flat-headed penguin materialized in the failing evening light. He had grown a little tense after realizing that telling Skipper that little bit of information was sort of like asking to be interrogated. And now that he wasn't part of the team anymore, he was sure torture would have been an acceptable method.

Now that the sun was setting, he relaxed a little. He knew Skipper wasn't the kind of penguin to come and beg, even if that involved ropes and slaps across the face. Skipper had too much pride for that. He wouldn't ask more about Dmitri until it came up again or something.

That's when Private realized he had something that he could use to manipulate the leader penguin. Knowledge. Enlightenment, he thought. He was the only one who received the visions in his dreams and he was the only one who could converse with the Sun. Skipper had been using him for the last six months for his talent, and now he was free of that obligation. He didn't tell have to tell Skipper anything. He could just be quiet whenever the penguin asked, or he could even lie and lead him astray. The possibilities he had were many.

He thought for a moment as he shoveled his fish down about how much he changed since his partial absorption. Six months ago he would have never thought such dark things; manipulation and murder and deceit. In the antechamber he had stood up for Manfredi to take down a penguin that did the same things he was doing now.

What did that make him? He wasn't so sure. He still had his heart set on ensuring the safety of the people in the world, though. Even so, he made sure to not think about what it would be like to end Kowalski's life.

He finished his last fish as the sun fell past the edges of the tallest buildings. There wasn't anything left to do that day; he would just have to wait and see if any vision came to him during the night. The dream with Dmitri had been informative enough. Perhaps the Sun was still attempting to contact him, even though they had not conversed since the prophesy was relayed?

Private waddled into Marlene's home, gently rubbing his scar with his flipper. It stung a bit as he touched it, and he realized it had not fully scabbed over yet. Playing with it too much would surely cause to to bleed again.

He wasn't surprised to find Marlene out cold when he entered the darkness of the cave. She hadn't bothered to even leave at any point during the day, and Private knew she was emotionally and physically exhausted. At least she had found the strength to clean the room, as it was nice and tidy. Like her and Julien's fight had never happened.

The small penguin laid down on the blanket Marlene had laid out for him, resting his head on the soft pillow behind him. He briefly regretted not grabbing his blanket and pillow from the HQ while he was there. He was accustomed to sleeping on concrete, but a little extra cushion would have been nice.

He found it surprisingly easy to drift off. Maybe it was because of his shaky sleep the night before.

He was disappointed when he opened his eyes the next morning. He had slept like a rock. Not a single sign from anything in his dreams. He couldn't even remember a single one of them. He stopped himself from throwing his blanket angrily across the room as he didn't want to wake the still sleeping Marlene up.

How was he supposed to save the people if he didn't even know what Kowalski needed to do? It didn't make any sense.

He waddled out of the dingy cave and into the brisk air, taking a deep breath. He knew that any one of these mornings now he'd have his vendetta and he would have to carry it out. Whenever that day came, he would have to either force Kowalski to his death or perform the action himself. It gave him shudders as he thought about it now.

He suddenly realized just how alone he was in his new mission. Marlene knew what he had to do, yes, but she was so emotionally unstable right now that she wasn't any help to him. Who else could he talk to? Julien was really the only other close friend he had at the zoo. He was familiar with the other animals, but he didn't really know them on a level deep enough to confide such a dark ultimatum in them.

Rodger? Roy? Burt? The chimps? All of them were probably just trying to piece together what was left of the world without humans. They probably wouldn't even regard his statements as remotely true. Or worse, they would relay his wishes to Skipper and then he'd never have a shot at Kowalski.

He realized that the only one he had left to talk to was the Sun. If only it would contact him somehow, maybe he'd know what to do.

Private felt a little confined with the tall, brick walls surrounding him so he decided to go for a walk. It was still early so he figured nobody else would be awake. The cool air felt nice on his face and he openly welcomed the silence that surrounded him.

He passed that strange businessman sleeping in a chair outside of the Zoovineer. He was face down on the glass table in front of him, his glasses carelessly tossed aside. He wasn't Alice, but Private was still thankful that he was around. He would at least keep the animals under control.

Officer X, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. Private looked towards the gate of the zoo, and though the gate was still smashed in and laying on the concrete, the red van was missing. He didn't know where the dark man had went, but he was sure he would be back. Hopefully he'd take his time, though. Private wanted as much time as possible to get to Kowalski.

He waddled over to the fountain and ran his flipper through the water. It was no longer running, with the electricity being shut off, the water in the reflecting pool was nice and cool. He splashed some on his face and blinked his eyes a few times.

He hated the feelings that overcame him. Loneliness. Deprivation. Depression.

He stopped his sulking immediately when he saw a couple of figures approaching the zoo through the main gate. He waddled out into the square and looked at them curiously, wondering what they could be here for. The group was composed of a variety of animals, and they weren't just squirrels, racoons and pigeons like he would expect from the city of New York.

Suddenly his eyes met a familiar face. The short, stubby beak. The stout frame. The long, yellow feathers that extended from just above the narrow eyes. Gier. The penguin that had helped him and Manfredi fight off Sarge. And strapped over his shoulder was his trademark weapon: the penguin rifle.

When the group of animals crossed the threshold of the zoo, he got a good look at what it was composed of.

Shuffling back and forth near the side of the group was what looked like a very small penguin, though Private knew better. He had seen pictures of this animal from books in the Zoovineer before; it was a puffin. His beak was wide, flat, and ringed with a deep purple. His beady eyes were inset into bright orange feathers, but besides that and his orange, stubby feet the animal was completely monochromatic.

To the puffin's side slithered a long, horrifying snake. A boa constrictor, Private thought. Its head was large and inset with two glaring eyes. The scales on its long body, patterned with many shades of green, gleamed in the early morning sun. It flicked its tongue out mechanically, tasting the crisp air.

After the snake was Gier, and standing immediately on his other side was another rockhopper penguin. His bulky flippers and body screamed masculinity. This one was considerably bigger than the familiar bird; probably even taller than Kowalski. Long, yellow feathers garnished his brow over narrowed eyes. The feathers on his head looked like they had grown extra long, and were then chopped off in a clean, straight cut.

To his side was a massive mammal. Something that Private thought was a leopard seal at first glance but after noticing its stubby, wide teeth and overbite, realized that she was in fact a walrus. She shuffled along the concrete, pulling herself forward with her two powerful looking flippers. Her eyes were dusted with what could have only been purple eyeshadow.

To the walrus's side, standing a distance from the others, was a lemur. Private recognized him immediately because of his similarities to Julien, Maurice, and Mort. He had brilliant azure fur with dark paws and a steely, sky-blue gaze. He was rubbing his paws together, almost like he was warming them up.

The last animal, and probably the most peculiar, was a dolphin. It was the bottlenosed type that Private always saw on the penguins' TV. Long and slender with tiny, wide-set eyes and a long flippers. The dolphin itself wasn't all that strange actually, but instead how it was getting around. It was a strange, one-wheeled contraption that seemed to respond to the dolphin's every button press. It didn't even look like it could stay upright on its own, but the dolphin seemed to hardly be trying to balance on it.

The group of animals stopped as they finally noticed Private standing behind the fountain. He walked around it and waved his flipper over his head, saying, "Hey, Gier."

The rockhopper only shifted his rifle slightly, not responding. Instead, the bulky penguin to his side asked, "Is this one of them?" His voice was deep and commanding; something that even Skipper would envy.

Gier nodded slowly, then sort of twitched. It wasn't something that was immediately noticeable, but Private was sure he had seen it. The bulky penguin turned to him before saying, "Nice to finally meet you, Private."

Private got suspicious for a moment at the penguins' knowledge of his name. After a moment, he realized that Gier had probably informed these friends of his all about what happened in the Antechamber. Calmly, he said, "Nice to meet you too, I guess. Who are all of you?"

The bulky penguin's stubby beak turned upward only a hint at the remark. "Name's Buck Rockgut. It seems you already know my son, Gier." He gestured to the walrus. "This oaf here is Rhonda." Then he pointed at the mischievous looking lemur. "Clemson." Then the snake, who Private felt was eying him a little to much. "Savio." The puffin was next. "That's hans." Finally the dolphin on the segue. "And that's Flippy."

The dolphin looked disgruntled. He spoke in a high-pitched, nasally accent as he complained, "Emilio Blowhole, actually."

"Whatever," dismissed Buck.

"Well it is really good to meet all of you," Private said, assuming that they were all on good ground with Gier. He had nothing against the small bird, so he decided to assume they were all friendly. "Welcome to the Central Park Zoo, I guess." He gestured to the nearly lifeless zoo around him.

"It's great to be here," responded Clemson, though Private heard the facetiousness in his voice.

Private decided to break the ice. "It's great that you've found us, Gier. I was afraid we'd never see you again after Antarctica."

The animals across from him exchanged smiles and chuckled, and that didn't sit right with him. He felt himself tense up a little before continuing, "Do you need a place to stay? I mean, you must have noticed the people are gone."  
>"We have noticed," returned Buck, "but we won't be needing a place to stay. There's a different reason we've come here."<p>

There it was again. That exchange of smiles. That chuckle. At least from all of the animals except for Emilio. When they didn't continue, Private opened his beak to ask why. Instead, he was interrupted by Buck.

"Ah, Skipper," he greeted. Private spun around to see the flat-headed penguin approaching him from behind. His eyes were narrowed and his flippers were crossed. Even if Private couldn't trust Skipper anymore, he at least knew that the bird's paranoia was reliable. Something was amiss about these animals. Behind Skipper waddled a tired looking Rico. Kowalski was missing.

Private couldn't help but feel a slight pang of anger at the sight of his ex-leader. He contained it, though. It was clear that Buck knew Skipper and he might shed some light on the situation.

"Buck," spoke Skipper slowly.

Buck smiled. "It's great to see you again, little one."  
>"Likewise." Private concluded that Skipper was familiar with this bird.<br>"How have you been?" queried the rockhopper.

"Good. Took a vacation to finally kill Fishslader, but since then its been nothing but smooth sailing and rainbows."

Buck's eyes narrowed a touch at the mention of Sarge. "My boy told me all about that," he nudged the smaller penguin. "He must have really slipped to let _you_ overpower him."

Private could almost hear Skipper's beak grinding across itself. "I didn't do it," he countered. "It was Manfredi."

"So I've heard," continued the rockhopper. "Shame too. Such a ferocious leader."

"Eighty-six the chatter, Rockgut. Why are you here?"  
>"Since the humans are gone and moving around is a lot easier, I figured, why not come up from Hoboken and pay my old rookie a nice visit?"<p>

"You were in Hoboken this whole time?" Skipper asked, seeming surprised. Private had heard of the New Jersy zoo mentioned before. It always competed with Central Park, or something.

"Yup. Made some new friends," he held his flippers up and the animals around him smiled. "Anyway, Gier here tells me all about your little endeavors with the Sun. Told me you killed his best bud and Sarge and then left him to die, am I correct?"  
>Skipper hesitated. Private had no idea what he was talking about. He had been unconscious for the last few minutes of the battle with Sarge, but Skipper had told him that Alice had saved them all by racing away from the unenclosed Sun. He had never heard the fate of Gier.<p>

Finally, Skipper spoke directly to Gier. "We didn't mean to leave you behind. Alice didn't know that you were a friendly. She would have grabbed you if she knew you were."

The animals did their exchange, their chortle. Private was beginning to feel very uncomfortable standing here and could feel tension rising in the air. He glanced over at Rico and saw an expression on his face that implied he was feeling the same thing.

Buck spoke. "Whatever. Point is, we came up here to make amends."

"Amends for what?" asked Skipper.

Buck shook his head. "Don't you know what they told us back at boot camp, Skipper? They told us that anyone who harms your team is writing their own death wish. That you are authorized to end the worthless life of anyone who lays a finger on your buddies. Do you remember that?"

Private watched Skipper get into a fighting stance. With that simple motion, the tension in the air exploded. He couldn't help but also prepare himself as the animals across from him seemed to also get into their stances. Clemson crouched slightly, Rhonda stepped forward, and Savio glared at Private almost hungrily. The only one who didn't seem to react was Gier, who didn't even ready his rifle.

They stayed like that for a few moments, staring off at each other. Finally, Skipper said, "I don't seem to recall that lesson."

Buck laughed. "You never did seem to pay attention. We've got some other grudges to settle, too. Clemson here has a bone to pick with one particular lemur king, Hans here has something to say about his nest you blew up, and Flippy here is looking for a lost friend."

"Emilio," the dolphin sighed. Private had nearly forgotten about the segue-mounted dolphin and realized that he didn't even look tense. He pushed a button on his control panel and wheeled forward, looking down at Skipper. "Look; I don't want this to be a big deal, alright? I'm just trying to find a penguin named Kowalski."

"Me?" said a deep voice from behind them. In the tenseness of the moment, Private hadn't noticed the intellectual waddle up behind them. It was still hard for Private to look at the bird, so he instead directed his attention at the dolphin, who was now smiling widely.

"Kowalski!" Emilio exasperated, throwing a flipper up in excitement. "It's been so many years."

The intellectual only arched a brow.

"Don't you recognize me?"  
>Nothing but silence was returned.<p>

Blowhole slapped a flipper over his head. "From the facility? Emilio Blowhole, remember?"  
>"We call him Flippy," came Buck's voice. The dolphin merely cringed.<p>

Private didn't look at his ex-superior, but pictured a thoughtful look on his face. Then there was a sound of him hitting his clipboard and he said, "That's right! You managed to make it out?"

Blowhole smiled. "Yup. It's good to see you did, too. Do you know of anyone else?"

Private sneaked a glance at the tall bird and and immediately regretted it. The grief in his eyes just enraged him. It felt so wrong. To be angry at someone who had lost so much while they were having a reunion with one of the few things they had left. "No one."  
>Blowhole looked dim for a moment and offered, "I'm sorry."<p>

Kowalski suddenly began looking around him and Private knew that he was looking for Officer X. The small bird wasn't sure if Kowalski was thinking about protecting Blowhole or trying to make sure his own hide was safe, though. He opened his beak to talk but was interrupted by Buck.

"Isn't that sweet. Flippy found his boyfriend," he mocked.

Blowhole looked angry for a moment but then smiled again. "We'll talk later, alright Kowalski?"

The tall bird only nodded as Blowhole wheeled back over and fell into line with the other animals. They seemed to have relaxed a bit, however. Skipper still hadn't, and even through Kowalski's conversation, had locked his eyes on them. Private saw them jump between each of the animals, seeming to hover particularly long on Buck.

Private let his own flippers relax. It was clear that these animals didn't seem to have a problem with him, just Skipper and maybe Julien. He glanced at the red-furred lemur and saw him rubbing his paws together and staring up at Julien's throne across the zoo. Private noticed the lemur king was nowhere to be seen, and figured that was probably a good thing.

"Let me lay this out for you simply, Skipper. We're not here to kill you. It turns out the world tends to go crazy when the people disappear, and we're forming a little militia for our protection. We're here to recruit you."

Hans fluttered his wings suddenly, hopping up to the large rockhopper. When he spoke Private could hear the Danish accent in his voice. "What to you mean we're not here to kill him?"

Buck glared down at the small puffin, and surprisingly he backed off a bit. "He'd be much more useful to us alive," he told him.

"But my wife and kids..." Hans said softly, and Private tried to place the sudden show of grief in his memory. What did Rockgut say about the puffin? His nest blew up? Then Private realized what the bird was talking about. His nest must have been destroyed in the explosion that destroyed the Penguin Base. That was why he had a Danish accent.

"I didn't say that it was going to be easy for him. Its going to be a living hell." Buck turned back to Skipper. "Just like what you put my boy through."  
>"You've come to take me prisoner?" Skipper observed.<p>

"And Julien," said Clemson. He was still rubbing his paws together.

"Affirmative," agreed Buck. "So, if you'd be so kind to fetch him for us and let us tie you up, we'll be on our dandy way." It didn't sound like he was joking.

Surprisingly, Skipper didn't say anything and just turned around. He looked relaxed as he crossed his flippers. His eyes were closed and his face was directed at the ground, kind of like he was thinking hard.

"Skippah?" Private peeped up.

"You have about fifteen seconds to get your sorry asses out of my zoo before I kick you to Antarctica," he said defiantly, but calmly. He still didn't turn around or open his eyes.

Private looked up at Buck and saw him grimacing. It looked like he was clenching his flippers hard enough to break solid concrete. He took a deep breath before responding, "Have it your way. I'm giving you one week to surrender both yourself and that lemur before we come and capture you. Oh, and if you try to stop us," he knocked Gier's rifle gently, "will regret it."

After that all of the hostile animals turned to leave except Blowhole. He had what could have only been a worried look on his face as he glanced towards Kowalski. Before he turned to leave he said, "I hope you'll do the right thing here."  
>All of the penguins' eyes fell on Kowalski for a moment, who was vigorously flipping through his clipboard though Private could see that the pages were blank. Skipper shook his head gently before making his way in the direction of Marlene's habitat.<p>

With the heat of the situation, Private had momentarily forgotten his new hatred for Skipper. It returned suddenly as he saw Skipper walking towards the otter enclosure. That was his sanctum, his little pocket of peace and tranquility. He wouldn't have it defiled by Skipper and Kowalski. Besides, he knew that the animal Skipper was looking for was no longer there.

"Julien's back at the lemur habitat," he said. The leader stopped and looked at him, his flippers still crossed. Then without a word, began heading in the opposite direction.

Kowalski followed closely in his wake, but Rico hesitated. For a moment Private shared a look with him. He knew Rico wanted to tell him something, but it was like the maniacal bird couldn't find the words. Private awkwardly shrugged and headed off back to the otter enclosure.

Marlene would want to know about Clemson.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>Surprise extra chapter this weekend! I really wanted to get part II going. And I don't think I'll have any time to update next weekend because of final exams. So I hope this is enough to tide you over. See you guys in about 10 days!


	29. A Company of Survivors

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 28 – A Company of Survivors**

** ALEXANDER XANTHOPOULOS HAD UNDERESTIMATED THE PENGUINS.**

He didn't know how they were managing to follow his every move, disable every camera or motion detector he put up, clip every power cable he tried to lay. The really unbelievable part about it was the fact that they were following in his shadow, performing their sabotage mere minutes after he finished with a camera or a cord. He never caught sight of a feather or a beak, either.

Andrew was right about those birds. They were definitely something extraordinary. X had never encountered something so stealthy from human resistance; and in broad daylight for that matter. He really should have expected it, though. If that businessman's story about Antarctica and the Sun was true and the penguins had really battled with the knowledge that some ancient artifact might fall into evil hands, disabling his equipment was almost like child's play to them.

Considering that tall bird was trained to be an presidential assassin, it probably was. After all, he had managed to escape from the facility with his life; not something that had been easy. X pursued the tall penguin as long as he possibly could, but gave up after about a day. The penguin wasn't faster than him and wasn't stronger than him, so that wasn't he was so evasive. He was brilliant.

Probably even more brilliant than Andrew was or even he was. That was why the tall bird kept holding his clipboard in front of his face. Even though both Alice and Andrew had told him the birds were not aware of the fact that they had cameras implanted in their heads, that tall bird knew they were there. He held the clipboard up every few minutes to not only obscure X's vision through his little monitor, but also to show him the pictures. The dolphin and the people with guns. It was a good thing he'd rendered his guilt senses worthless ages ago, otherwise he might actually feel bad for the little guy.

For now, he was pulling up to his house. Andrew's limousine and the truck that had mounted it like a jockey were still sitting in the street. The engines sounded weak but were still running. He pulled up beside them and hopped out of his armored, tank-like van.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning he got sick of collecting his smashed equipment, so he took off home to restock. All of his best cameras in the van had been ruined and he knew they were fairly worthless while the penguins were watching his every move, anyway. He knew setting up stationary, hidden surveillance equipment was not an option anymore. He had something in mind that would work, though.

X walked off the elevator and into his armory, gazing over all of the weapons and equipment. Thirty crates of hand grenades off to one side. A rack of fully-automatic assault rifles. A chest full of a variety of handguns and revolvers. An RPG launcher hanging from the ceiling. It was a shame, he thought. None of this stuff would see use with nobody to fight against.

He passed the collection of military surplus and entered the room where he stored all of his surveillance equipment. In there he found what he was looking for. A rustic looking sonar dish attached to a metal pole and wired up to a small laptop.

It was a simple radar. Old-fashioned, but effective given the situation. He wouldn't have to leave it behind to set some more equipment up or even let it out of his sight to give the penguins a chance to disable it. He just had to adjust it to the frequency that their GPS tracking chips were emitting and he'd be able to track them anywhere in a five-hundred mile radius.

Andrew would be able to help with that. After all, he had come up with the CIES.

With his new weapon in tow, he prepared to leave the bunker. That was until he heard a beeping sound originating from the communication room. He built it because the service demanded that they have at least some way to contact him. Even so, he hadn't been inside of it in nearly two years. They had never called him before, so why was it beeping?  
>He set his new radar down and walked over to the console before smashing a button down that began the playback of the recorded message.<p>

"This is an encrypted broadcast for all former and current Secret Service operatives," said a very familiar voice. Jeffery Murray. X's engineer friend that had upgraded his van and elevator. His voice was shaky as it played back through the machine. "A recent event has resulted in the disappearance of all signs of human life on the planet. If anyone receives this message, report back with any information gathered immediately. We need to know what the hell is going on here."

As the message clicked off, an automated voice told X that the message had been left just over two days ago. Right after he left to take a tour of the zoo with Alice. He figured returning the call was the best decision. He hated the service, but Jeffery was someone he could trust.

The automated server connected him to a call, showing that back in Washington DC they still had power. Or at least for that matter the generators at that base were still running. The console played the dial tone and then rang for several minutes over the overhead speakers in the room. He was just about to give up when the line clicked.

"Name, ID, and verification code, please?" asked Jeffery. X rolled his eyes.

"I ain't think now's the time for protocol," he responded.

"Wait... who is this?" Jeffery asked.

"It's X."  
>"X?"<p>

The burly man grunted into the microphone before him. "Yes, it's X."

"No way!" Jeffery exasperated. "Of all the calls I've gotten today yours is the best. You doin' alright, buddy?"  
>"Been better," returned X. "What the hell happened at HQ?"<p>

"I have no idea. I was down in the archives late a couple'a days ago and when I came up to go home the entire city was deserted. Everyone's clothes and id cards were just laying around."

X had figured the event had struck outside of just New York, but it was good to get some confirmation. "Same story here."  
>"This is ridiculous," Jeffery said. "I've gotten a few calls from a couple'a bases around the world, but its always just one or two guys who survived... whatever just happened. About ninety percent of our bases are dark."<p>

"Does anyone know what's going on?" X asked.

"Everyone is asking me that same thing, actually. I've already ran scans for nuclear radiation and weaknesses in both the atmosphere and the magnetic field, but everything seems to be in perfect order. What ever this is it wasn't caused by any disaster I can think of."

X almost opened his mouth to say tell Jeffery what Andrew had explained to him, but he held himself back. Now was not the time to get his only friend remaining in the world to think he was crazy.

"Are you in any trouble?" asked Jeffery.

"Negative. I ain't seen nothing but a lot of crashed cars and one confused lawyer guy since the event," X responded.

"Someone made it through with you?"

"Yeah, but he's a pain."

"Pain my ass. You're lucky someone's with you. I've searched the entire city in the last two days and haven't found a soul. This silence is driving me crazy."

"Take it easy over there, Jeffery," calmed X.

"Yeah... yeah. Easier said than done."

X decided to get back on topic. "Did any calls come from New York or anywhere nearby?"  
>There was a sound of ticking on keys. "Unfortunately not. I've gotten two from our Russian Embassy, one from Georgia, one from California, and one from a tiny camp in Maine. And this one from you."<p>

"Damn."

"I agree. Look, I'm going to keep trying to locate anyone I can and see if I can figure out what's going on. Keep in touch?"

"Of course," responded X.

"Good. Catch you later." As Jeffery finished his sentence the line clicked dead. It was good to know that even though everyone else in the world was gone, he was still around.

X collected the mobile communicator from its charger, where it had sat ever since he first put it there when he built the hub into his bunker. He never got a call on it before, but it looked like any typical cellphone so it couldn't be too hard to use. It was battery-powered and satellite run so as long as Jeffery was keeping the servers up in DC, X knew it would work.

He hauled the case containing the radar equipment over his back before taking the elevator back to the surface. It didn't make any sense to him why there were such scattered pockets of people remaining when almost everyone else on the entire planet had vanished. He figured that would be a lot easier to guess if he actually knew what had taken them in the first place.

He knew not just CIA and Secret Service operatives had survived. There must have been other small groups of people who made it through, but he just wasn't sure where. As he left the front door to his house he realized he wouldn't have to look very far to find one of those groups.

Surrounding his van was a group of around twelve men. Each was wearing what looked like a raggedy, soot-stained orange jump-suit. Some of them had pickaxes in their hands and they were swinging them through the air. Near the back of the van was a particularly tall man with a helmet on. Embedded in the helmet was a light.

X immediately placed the men in his head. He he had seen their kind before, clothes dirty and torn, pickaxes and helmets. Maybe even masks to prevent them from inhaling the dust from the resource they collected. Sometimes they held explosives in one hand and a detonator in the other. Other times they just pushed wheelbarrows full of the fossil fuel they collected.

Coal miners. And from the look of their orange jumpsuits, these weren't any normal coal miners. These were convicts sentenced to a life of work in the Appalachian coal mines. He knew their type; aggressive and hard-headed with a unique lack of etiquette and moral standards. They hadn't noticed them yet so he set his radar down gently on his door step and then placed his hand on the stock of his gun.

It wasn't until the miner with the helmet struck the back of his van did he realize they were trying to gain access to the inside of it. "Hey!" he yelled before the man had a chance to do it again. "You're going to be buffing that scratch out, I hope."  
>All of the men in the crowed turned to them and some of the immediately began laughing. The man with the helmet stepped passed his buddies and locked his eyes on X. X saw that his iris were solid white; he was either blind or the many hours in the mines had somehow siphoned the color from them. He had a smile on his face as he folded his grimy hands behind his back, concealing the pickaxe from X's view.<p>

"So that's your van?" he asked. His voice was low and calm. Kind of like Andrews, thought X.

"Naw," responded the large man. "You guys were just making too much racket."

The men at the van laughed. The man with the helmet didn't find it so funny. "Hardy-har-har," he scoffed. "Let me be the first to apologize for smashing your van, though. It just seemed like you were the kind of guy to keep some useful stuff in it, you know what I'm sayin'?"  
>"There ain't nothing in there for you," returned X. he tightened his grip on the handle of his gun a bit.<p>

Something inside him knew that he would be best off trying to make friends with this group of survivors, but they were just too cocky and belligerent for his tastes. He recalled the not once, but twice he was ordered to blow up a mine and crush the inmates inside because they had gone rouge and killed their guards. The men in front of him were sick and decrepit, and he knew that they weren't interested in working with him.

"Aw, but look at us," the man gestured to his group. "We've got nothing but the shirts on our backs and the few supplies we managed to carry with us. It's a post-apocalyptic world, you know. You really should be more friendly."

X paused for a moment, just staring into the man's solid white orbs through his sunglasses. He couldn't help but feel a little tense as the man extended a hand. "Friends?" He questioned.

The large man barely considered the offer. Instead, he bared his teeth slightly and growled, "Forget it."  
>"Whoa, whoa," the man sputtered. "Calm down there big boy."<p>

The group of men shifted towards X and he tightened his grip on his handgun. If they took one more step he was going to whip it out. He had it loaded and ready to go with a clip of twelve rounds, but he knew these hardened criminals wouldn't go down in just one or two shots. He'd have no choice but to reload once or twice, and that would leave him open.

That never stopped him before, though.

The man across from him seemed to notice his brief lapse of aggression while he made his plan. "Good. Now I'm going to offer you a chance at teaming up again, and I hope you'll take it. Because if you don't, we're going to have to cut your fingers off one by one like we did those guards at the mine."

The second step. X was pushed passed his comfort point. In one swift motion he pulled out his pepper spray using his left hand and discharged the bottle into the man's face. At the same time he used his right hand to reveal his handgun and pointed it at the advancing group, swinging it back and forth ever so slightly to show the convicts that none of them were safe.

"Ah, shit! My eyes!" cried the man from the ground. He had dropped his pickaxe and was now desperately clawing at his face to remove the stinging chemical.

X clipped the bottle of spray to his belt again and said, "So which one of you numb-nuts is going to come get this guy?"

The men looked at each other awkwardly. He could tell they didn't have same idiotic courage that their leader did because the sight of the gun had caused all of them to freeze in their places. X was glad, though. He wasn't particularly interested in ending the lives of some of the last people on earth, even if they were as vile as these guys.

One small man pushed his way through the group and, without even looking at X, pulled the helmeted man to his feet. He looked like he had recovered from the pepper spray a bit, and though his eyes were watering, he glared at X. X snarled back as he followed the man with the tip of his gun.

"Now get out of here," commanded X, beckoning with his gun. The men obeyed without a word and began walking down the street. The helmeted man didn't stop looking back at him until he rounded a corner and could be seen no more.

When he figured he was safe, he finally holstered his gun again and then bent over to pick up the pickaxe that had been left behind. He inspected the worn wooden handle and the dented tip. There was an unmistakably red stain near the base of the head. Dried blood.

Knowing that these guys were a real threat, X returned to his armory to retrieve some more weapons. He grabbed a sub-machine gun and a few magazines of extra ammo. Just enough to fend them off if he ever encountered them again, but not enough to do much if they got there hands on it. He also grabbed a collapsible sniper rifle with a case, a few anti-personnel mines and a few grenades.

Alexander wasn't known for over preparing.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>So in this part you can see that we're going to have both animal antagonists as well as some human ones. Hurrah! Oh and I know I said this wasn't going to be out this weekend, but I figured you guys deserved it. Who needs to study for finals, anyway?


	30. A Hunt for Answers

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 29 – A Hunt for Answers<strong>

**EVERYWHERE HE LOOKED, EDGAR ONLY FOUND GRIEF**.

The man in the striped suit was everywhere. Every time he managed to gather the confidence to try another door, he was only met with those glinting black eyes. Two orbs that radiated intelligence, compassion, wholeheartedness. Two orbs that held much darker aspirations behind them than just educating a bunch of birds and dolphins.

The man that was now haunting him as he walked up and down the endless hallways of the temple was not the simple marine biologist that he lead everyone around him to believe. He was a man deeply stung by the country he once stood for. A scientist and engineer used to create horrible, horrible weapons and then tossed aside when his usefulness expired. A man who tried to use his talent to bring about change in hopes of gaining revenge for the wrongs done to him.

Edgar had found out about the true intentions of the facility where he, five other penguins, and six dolphins were educated and trained in militaristic arts only a few days before the raid. That fateful day when everyone Edgar had grown close to during his time there was slaughtered. As far as he knew he was the only living thing that escaped that facility before the explosives detonated, sending three years of effort and research sky-high.

Even now, ten years after that day, he was just as confused about everything that had happened. Edgar knew what he was being trained for when those armed mercenaries barreled down the front door. An assassination attempt against some hardened official that had wronged the man in the striped suit. That was the part of the plan that he was never told, never shown. That he was being trained to be a killer.

The moment Edgar Blackbeak found out about the real reason behind his education he left the facility. He set off to return to it a few days later, only to be about a mile away from the structure when it exploded. He didn't find a soul alive in the rubble. From that day forth he made it his goal to continue his education.

He sneaked into the air vents in the human universities, sat underneath the windows of their kindergartens, even broke into their libraries at night to access their books. He started with the one thing the man in the striped suit never taught them to do—how to read and write human English. Then he moved onto more advanced concepts; improving his math skills tenfold, learning physics and engineering, tinkering with electronics deep into the night in the basement of an abandoned computer parts store. He made it his goal to use the knowledge that was once supposed to be used for arming bombs underneath the bed of some unsuspecting politician to help animals of the world in any way he could.

Nothing stopped those black orbs and the striped suit from returning to him, though. In his dreams, in the shadows as he slept. In the wreckage of the destroyed Penguin Base. Even in Manfredi as he set off to track down Caspian. Around every corner, reminding him of what what his purpose originally was.

A killer. Not a bird of science, math, and medicine. A bird of gunpowder, blood, and revenge.

And now, when he was on the edge possibly the greatest breakthrough in the history of the planet, the man wouldn't leave him alone. Following him everywhere. Behind every door. Restricting his access to the library he so dearly wished to page through. Always watching, always waiting for him to finally fulfill the second half of the deal. Edgar was trained for a reason.

Edgar found himself sitting in the far corner of the antechamber, the journal on the tiled floor a few feet from himself. He had his flippers wrapped around his body, and even though the Sun was keeping the entire structure comfortably warm, he was shivering. He figured it was because of his exhaustion. He hadn't slept or eaten in a few days. He knew he needed rest and nourishment soon, so he had been rocking back and forth gently for a few hours. Like he was either trying to put himself to sleep through the gentle motion or trying to coax out some nonexistent appetite.

He hadn't touched the journal that was now laying before him in a few days. That was where he had tossed it when the memory of the man in the striped suit had stolen his thoughts away from the Sun and the portal, and that was where it was ever since. He reached forward and pulled it into himself, wondering if it was time to write another entry.

Almost mechanically he grabbed his pencil from the ground nearby and began to write.

* * *

><p><em>A Study of the Sun<br>May 12th, 2010_

_ Just over one week had passed since my arrival here on Antarctica, and I can say that nothing new has come as a result of my being here. This temple is like a hardened shell; impossible to crack but with so many worthwhile rewards on the inside. The hallways beg to be explored, the doors yearn to be opened, but nothing makes any sense. I can't keep track of which doors I've checked and which I haven't. In fact, the whole place seems to be changing on a regular basis._

_ Even so, I have tried to make the most of my time. After being unable to find the library, I reread Johnson's notes in hopes that I might find some other clue as to its location. There was nothing new in that regard, but it was queer how Johnson's words seemed to become more clear this time around. Maybe it's just because I'm rereading them and analyzing his statements further._

_ One point that I was unable to conclude from Johnson's notes until now is an abstract idea of darkness. Johnson seems to believe that the Sun has a way of corrupting hearts. That is to say, it has the power to directly influence an individual's decisions and cause them to be more 'evil', though I find that to be a widely general term. _

_ Someone who comes to mind on this idea of 'darkness' is Caspian Fishslader. When I first met that penguin he was more gentle and rational than he was when he betrayed me. It was sort of like he had formed some sort of dependency to the Sun and that need was driving him to extreme measures. I can't say for sure that he wasn't just power-hungry, but it is a curious coincidence._

_ If that is true, then there is the question of why did none of the other birds suffer the same fate? I find myself wondering if they actually were. If they were somehow mentally stable enough or strong enough to overcome the 'darkness' that the Sun was forcing on their hearts, maybe they could handle the artifact without any adverse side effects. _

_ At least that is what Johnson is trying to get across. In the real world there is no such object that has the ability to change someone's actions. Yes, I've heard of the humans do stupid things for what they call money. That's not the money forcing them to perform their actions, though. It's greed. A pressing need to have everything they possibly can to invoke some false feeling of safety. Animals suffer from it, too._

_ I haven't spent all of my time reanalyzing Johnson's conclusions, however. I have also conducted a few more experiments on the portal. It reacts poorly to outside stimulus. Any object I toss into it is, after a few seconds, shot back out with unreal velocity. I tried using something less concrete—water, to be exact—and all it did was splash me in the face. The magnetic or electric energy processed by that portal must be unreal to be able to repel objects with such force. _

_ Something noticeable about the portal is that it seems to be shrinking. I am confident that it was at least a foot taller when it first opened. I've taken some rough measurements, getting only as close as I could without risking getting flung back, and I will confirm this theory in a future entry. If it is so, I will need to gain as much information about this surreal energy before it does. _

_ If I were to guess, I'd say that the portal was probably a result of energy being discharged form the Sun after the massive blast it produced when all the humans on the planet were exterminated. Guessing seems to be a reasonable way to draw conclusions. At least that's how Johnson is making it seem._

_ There is the question of how exactly the Sun did produce a wave of energy that only seemed to effect humans and not animals. Is it emitting some type of specific frequency that only has an effect on human DNA? I'm not so confident; there's nothing that powerful that would leave everything else living untouched. _

_ Johnson talks about how the Sun, at its creation, was only designed to effect those in the image of its creator. That was a very puzzling statement when I first read it. Was he saying the Sun could only affect the things that were created from the same energy that created it? That would put anything that was perfected over time in the correct category. If that was true, animals would be effected, too._

_ Johnson was talking about some greater power, something that had the capacity to meld something as powerful as the Sun and contain it here in a temple. That power that, according to Johnson, used the same process to mold the first human beings from clay. It's a puzzling conclusion, especially from a bird as quick-witted as Johnson was. _

_ The simple idea of something being able to manipulate space and time to that extent makes me want to throw out every possible physics law that I've got in my arsenal that proves it wrong, but for some reason I find myself believing it. That for some reason this great power was left here by some external creator with the ability to remove its creation from the planet so that, if need be, the animals could prosper. _

_ I wonder now if that is what Johnson was trying to describe when he called the second pedestal 'the reset button'. If there was such an ability to bring the planet back to a time before humans, I've just found it with his help. I can only imagine what the third pedestal will do when Johnson only says that 'it will bring enlightenment on a level never seen before'. Foreboding, to say the least. _

_ If the second pedestal is 'the reset button', then is the portal some sort of 'undo button'? Is it possible that it might have some ability to bring the people that were removed from the planet back? It seems to reject anything I toss into it, and I'm too worried for my safety to attempt to enter it myself. Maybe there's some sort of lock on it. A lock that has a key._

_ Maybe that key is someone like Johnson, having a deeper connection to the Sun than even I can imagine. Could that individual just walk right in the portal, or would some criteria have to be met before hand? These are questions that I will seek to answer when—or if—I find that library._

* * *

><p>Edgar found hit hard to focus on what he was writing, his face being drawn up to the ever present, wavering sliver of light that was the portal. If it really was shrinking, and some sort of person or object was the key to reverse what Dmitri and Irena had just brought on the planet, was there only a small window to undo what had happened?<p>

He lowered his brow a bit, wondering why he was suddenly growing so concerned about a way to bring the people back. They weren't important right now—what was important was that he was able to document the Sun on a higher level so that all of the animals in the world might benefit from it. If that meant the window to bring the people back was closing, so be it.

There was the man with the striped suit, though. Would he have approved of such a drastic measure? Sacrificing human lives just to gain some information? Wasn't that what he was training the animals to stop?

Edgar shook his head lightly. All of these conflicting thoughts were not helping his appetite at all.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>Here you are, another chapter from Edgar. I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, so let me know what you think.

Oh, and on a personal note, I purposed to my high school sweetheart today, and she said yes! :)


	31. A Nostalgic Item

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 30 – An Nostalgic Item<strong>

** "CLEMSON?"**

Private couldn't help but notice the waver of fear in the otter's voice as she repeated the scarlet lemur's name. He had just spent the last fifteen minutes describing the whole encounter at the entrance to the zoo and that was all she had returned after taking a few minutes to analyze the whole thing.

"That's what Buck Rockgut said his name was," confirmed the small bird. He was sitting on Marlene's stone bed while she was pacing up and down the dark cave.

"This isn't good," the otter said, and Private's suspicion levels rose. "Julien told me about someone named Clemson who was in his society when he lived on Madagascar. He said that Clemson was the one that started the rebellion that got him banished from his kingdom and almost resulted in his death."

Private knew Julien's story. After he and Marlene got together he became a lot more open about it and it was only a matter of time before the entire zoo knew of his story. Of course he put a lot more emphasis on himself than was true. For instance, how he battled off seventeen bloodthirsty fossa with his bare hands while Maurince and Mort were tied to a tree branch.

Marlene continued. "According to Julien, Clemson was the only one in the entire society who felt that Julien needed to be put to death. He must have been really bent on that because Julien said that he tried to stab him when the elders only banished him rather than executing him. He must have found his way here in order to finish what he started."

Private had every reason to believe the story Marlene was saying. Julien, even as mouthy as he was, had never told anyone about this Clemson but it made sense that he would confide in Marlene. Private knew he was banished, but never what for, so it could only be assumed that Julien would still have some conspirators after him. And after hearing how Manfredi pursued his vendetta for years and around the globe the fact that Clemson was here now didn't make him the least bit suspicious. There was one thing that just didn't add up, though.

"Why's he working with someone who is after Skippah, then?" he asked.

Marlene stopped her pacing momentarily and glanced at him. She opened her mouth for a moment, but then closed it and resumed pacing. "Not sure," she finally said.

"It's clear that Buck Rockgut was one of Caspian Fishlader's soldiers who managed to escape when Skippah and Manfredi blew the place up, but that just doesn't explain how he managed to team up with someone who is after Julien. Come to think of it, how in the world did he meet someone from Kowalski's facility, too?"  
>Marlene kept her eyes focused on the ground, her tail gently swinging back and forth behind her as she trudged. "I guess you could ask the same thing about us and Caspian and Manfredi's son, right?"<br>Private nodded. He had almost forgotten about the penguin named Dmitri he had seen in his dreams two nights ago. The simple idea that Manfredi's son was alive was enough for him to do a second take, but the fact that he was the one involved with the whole mass absorption was almost unbelievable.

"They said they came up from the Hoboken Zoo. Remember that fundraiser competition we had with them a few months back?"  
>Surprisingly the memory coaxed a smile out of Marlene. "Yeah," she chuckled. "Your whole dance and swimming routine sure won the zoo that one."<p>

"Right. Maybe they found out about Skippah and Julien during that whole thing."  
>Marlene snapped her fingers. "That's right. And now that the people running their zoo are gone they found their way straight up here."<p>

"And now they want to get revenge," finished Private. "Buck is obviously still loyal to the Penguin Army and wants to punish Skippah for his supposed crimes, Clemson is still trying to kill Julien, and there's that strange puffin, Hans. I think his nest got blown up in the explosion that destroyed the Penguin Base."

"Sounds they've all got their reasons for coming all the way up here, then. Well, that walrus and snake didn't say anything, right?"  
>"Exactly. I think the snake is more interested in a snack then anything, though."<br>Marlene blinked at him for a moment, finally stopping her pacing. "Snakes love birds, don't they."

Private nodded slowly.

"Then it looks like you, Rico and Kowalski are on the list of animals in trouble, too."

The small bird lowered his brow suddenly, turning his beak into a profuse grin. "Kowalski is going to be just fine," he said. "He's got that dolphin from the facility, Emilio. He didn't seem too interested in starting trouble. They actually made good friends right away."

"Don't be so sure," said Marlene. "If there is anything I learned from our trip to Antarctica, it's that animals don't always turn out to be who you think they are. It all might just be a ploy by Clemson or Buck to get closer to us."

Private had honestly not thought about that possibility. However, if it was true, that only meant that he had a couple more players in his game of catch-the-Kowalski. He still didn't have a clue of what needed to be done to save the humans, and now he possibly had even less time.  
>Private sighed. "At least they gave us a week." He was not trying to not be so concerned about his ex-leader, but something deep inside him was saying that he needed to help Skipper. If for nothing else than to help him defend the animals he was actually close to. And Kowalski, so he'd still be around when the time came.<p>

"Yeah," returned the otter. She was aware of their allotted time to prepare. She came over and sat next to Private, wrapping her arm around him. "Don't worry. You'll get to talk to Kowalski before long."

Very convenient how she didn't bring up the fact that he might actually be killing him, Private thought. Dodged that bullet like a real martial artist. Private knew Marlene wanted the humans back as badly as he did, though that need didn't include the same feelings of anguish and anger that he did. That was why she avoided talking about his prophesied death whenever possible. Still, Private could tell her larger concern was tied up elsewhere as she got up and made her way out of the cave.

"I'll be back," she said. "I'm going to make sure Julien is okay and he knows what's up."  
>Private merely nodded. He knew Skipper was going to pull Julien into some sort of higher protection, but he knew Julien probably wasn't going to believe anything that his ex-leader was going to say. It was going to take Marlene's word to get him concerned. After all, Julien was the one who was so optimistic he didn't even realize the damage he could have been causing by telling all the zoo animals about the Sun.<p>

Private was unsure what to do with himself. With no clue what he needed Kowalski to do to save the humans, he had no way to prepare himself. Should he go out and do a little bit of training? Should he go spy around the zoo and make sure Officer X wasn't snooping around? Should he keep an eye out for that group of animals? Surely they wouldn't be back so soon. They said Skipper had a week, right?

And there was the matter of the fact that Buck Rockgut and his goons were after Skipper. There was no question that Private was going to help defend Julien if the situation called for it, or Rico if that snake tried to eat him, but would he defend Skipper? The thought of the flat-headed penguin hanging by chains from the ceiling being whipped or burned or having all of his feathers plucked out one by one flashed through his mind. It gave him chills.

Skipper was the one who had wounded him on some deep, painful level, but that certainly didn't mean he was going to wish that Skipper would be tortured to death or forced into the service of a penguin who was still loyal to Sarge, even in his death. For once Private felt like his old self; the penguin that thought no bird deserved such a tragic end.

There was the question of Sarge himself, though. Private had openly expressed that he wanted that penguin dead that fateful day in the antechamber. Was he just clouded by anger at the time or was that actually the right thing to say? Did Sarge really deserve to be stabbed with his own weapon over and over until he keeled over and bled to death?

Possible. After all, Sarge had spent his last breath laughing because he thought all of his enemies were going to die to the power of the open Sun. A penguin corrupted to the bone.

Private's thoughts were whisked away as he heard heavy footfalls coming down the tunnel. He didn't think Marlene would be back so soon, and got up from where he was sitting on the bed. After a few moments Rico rounded the corner and into the cave, smiling as his face came into the dim light.

After the events of the morning, Private had not been expecting breakfast. But maybe it would help calm his nerves.

"Hey, Rico," he greeted, returning a smile. It wavered slightly as he realized the scarred bird was not carrying any fish.

Rico's smile faded slightly as well before he wheezed, "_Private... Skipwah in danger. Come back?_"

Private suddenly knew the real reason the bird had come. He spun around and clenched his flippers, trying to hide the grim scowl now on his face. "I already told you that I can't go back there. You heard Skippah. He almost had a fit just because I stopped by for some dinner."

Private heard a shifting of feet. "_Yeah... but Skipwah. Danger... Buck Rawkgut..."_

The small bird took a seat on the bed again but didn't bother to look up at his ex-teammate. "I know. It's terrible that he's come back looking for revenge on Skipper but there's nothing I can do when I'm not even part of the team."

"_Part of team always!" _insisted the explosives expert. "_Skipwah and Julien need help!_"

"I'll help Julien, but I don't think Skipper wants my help," Private returned. He was growing impatient. "Now, did you bring me any food?"

He glanced up at Rico and saw a disappointed look in his eyes. After a few moments he began hacking something up and a single, shiny can tumbled out of his gullet. He picked it up and abruptly forced it into Private's flippers before storming out of the cave.

Private turned the can over, trying to figure out what it was. After a few moments he realized where it was from; it was one of the cans of tuna that they had stolen from that food mart not long before Sarge came bursting onto the scene. Slightly dented, the label torn and dripping with Rico's saliva.

Just like the cans were after that day. They had worked as such a perfect team then, collecting food at a time when all they had to eat were nasty soy fishcakes. They were in and out in a flash and collected enough tuna to support them all the way to Antarctica and back. Private had almost forgotten about those times. When he actually felt like part of a family.

He remembered his parents. Two penguins that resided in a zoo in the United Kingdom, a little outside of Whales. They were young and Private was their only child but he always remembered them as being tall, confident, and proud. Like they could have raised a dozen chicks before him without stress.

His father was a kind and compassionate bird. He told the young Private to look for the good in everything, always try to make friends before enemies, and always try compromise before fighting. Private could only imagine how much his recent actions would have let his father down. Not living up to his wishes; only adding to the darkness in the world rather than spreading some light.

His mother was a little more grounded than his father, always concerned about food and their zoo. Her worries came true one day when they realized their zoo was being shut down and even though his father tried his best to keep them together, Private was adopted by the Central Park Zoo for its first penguin exhibit. Of course they couldn't resist to have at least one chick in their flock.

Private got to know the three birds he once considered his brothers after being shipped hastily to America. That was when, after the confusion of the journey, the stress of being wrenched from his parents, and the fear of his new life in the unknown land got to him. He forgot his name. And Skipper stepped in to give him his new one.

That was something the penguin quartet always gave him that he found himself beginning to miss dearly, even only after a few days. The feeling of family. That strange sense you get when you know that you just belong somewhere. You don't have to hide anything. The feeling he once had with his parents and was replaced with Skipper, Rico, and Kowalski.

Now, he had nothing.

Marlene, maybe. She was struggling with her own issues, though. Private just couldn't bring himself to think he deserved what little compassion she had left to give.

What about Rico? Private looked back down at the shiny can of tuna in his flippers once again. Rico was trying very hard to preserve the family they had formed nearly two years ago, and Private didn't doubt that he had been slipping in hints to Skipper whenever applicable to allow him back on the team. By giving him the tuna, though... it spoke of a different side of Rico's disposition.

The heavyset bird was getting frustrated with all of the fighting. He just wanted it to stop. He'd given up on talking and was trying a different tactic, using symbolism and memories to try to manipulate Private into talking to Skipper and Kowalski again. Private knew that sometimes the best way to change someone's mind is to invoke some of the hardest memories you possibly can, both good and bad in nature. That was how Sarge got his way with the Penguin Army, and it was what drove Manfredi into madness.

Private made a mental note. He wasn't going to let Rico's actions have any more effect on him. The mohawked bird wanted to bring the family together so bad and Private had no choice but to let him down. Kowalski _had_ to die. For the humans; for all of their sakes.

Private launched the can of tuna away from himself, watching as it bounced and came to a rest near the entrance of the tunnel. If only the Sun would just tell him what Kowalski needed to do, he thought. Then maybe he could stop any more pain from surfacing.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>Thank you, everyone, for such wonderful wishes on my engagement! I was not expecting that at all :).

I've finally finished school for the year and now I'll hopefully uploading a chapter ever few days or so, whenever I don't feel like writing Tunnels. I'm honestly struggling with writer's block on this book, though...


	32. A Secret is Revealed

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 31 – A Secret is Revealed<strong>

** THE NEXT FIVE DAYS WERE SURPRISINGLY QUIET**.

There were a couple of times that Private nearly found himself to the point of tranquility, like nothing bad had ever happened and he was still part of the penguin team, still staying in the concrete ice floe. There was always some thought that took that feeling away, though. Some brief memory about the Sun or Skipper or Kowalski that made him clench his beak and brought back the dull, burning pain in his scar.

Each morning Private woke up, he grew more and more worried. The Sun had still not contacted him in any way other than showing him that Manfredi's son was somehow involved, and that meant that he was no closer to saving the humans than he was in the moments after the mass absorption.

Without any indication of what he was supposed to do, he had made no effort to get close to Kowalski. He spotted the tall intellectual sometimes when he was looking for Officer X or Buck Rockgut and even sometimes made eye contact with him, but there was nothing more than that. From what he could tell Kowalski was still diligently working with Skipper on counteracting everything Officer X was trying to do.

A few days after the Hoboken inhabitants' initial visit, Emilio Blowhole returned with a special request to talk to Kowaslki. Private wasn't surprised that he did after their small exchange at the gate of the zoo. If Emilio was truly from the facility where Kowalski was educated, then it only made sense that they would want to reestablish contact with one other.

Private thought it was strange that Skipper allowed Kowalski to just go off with someone that could possibly be a threat. That whole situation was practically screaming that Kowalski was going to be birdnapped in order to get to Skipper. Just like with Sarge. However, Kowalski returned near sundown on the same day and didn't look like he was missing a single feather. Maybe Skipper knew that it was a good idea to have a possible ally on the enemy side, or maybe Kowalski was just sneaking off without his approval.

Still, Private could only imagine what the dolphin and the bird were talking about. Were they just reminiscing on old times in the facility with Doris and the other animals? Or were they having highly technical discussions about the Sun and the absorption? Either were possible, thought Private. After all, an entire day was a long time to just talk.

The small bird wondered if Emilio possessed the same bitterness about the humans who were killed at the facility and Officer X. From his brief exchange on the dock, Private couldn't tell if Emilio was really optimistic or just really good at hiding his true intentions. He still had a gnawing feeling that something bigger was going on between the dolphin and the scientist bird, though.

When the tall bird had left for the third time in the five day period, Private reminded himself that he would probably have to kill him in the coming days. As Kowalski got more intertwined with the affairs of these animals from Hoboken, the difficulty of Private's task increased. There would just be more animals standing between him and saving the people.

For a moment Private had wondered if he should seek out an ally; someone to stand by his side even in his dark mission. Surely Marlene would help him if needed. He had made a note to ask her sometime about it.

As for the otter's actions over the five days, she had not improved on a level of sanity. That was probably a result of the fact that Julien had not returned to the cave at all. Marlene went to see him often, but each time she returned she looked as mentally drained as the night she had spent crying with Private. Wide-eyed, lethargic and slow in movement. Still not stable enough to try to take down a friend, he thought.

Private did not see ear or tail of the ring-tailed lemur she was going to see. Private only assumed that Skipper had pulled him into some sort of protection program, perhaps even forcing him to stay in the HQ itself. That or Julien had become aware of the threat to his own life as well and had gone into hiding in the lemur habitat with Mort and Maurice.

The rest of the zoo animals kept up their day to day routine almost like the people were still around. Private was actually pretty surprised—he was sure the animals would have descended into jungle law by now. He was thankful, though. The last thing the zoo needed when there was a possible threat of infiltration and abduction by a bunch of crazy animals with vendettas was the zoo going nuts.

Private knew that they were still entirely unaware about the mass absorption, and because of Skipper were probably still under the influence that the humans were going to return at some point. Private suddenly realized that was a good thing because someday they were going to return. As soon as Private figured out what needed to be done, things would go back to normal.

The animals' calmness was being provided by another fact, too. It had something to do with Andrew Green. He was a diligent worker, following Alice's day-to-day routine like he was an honorary zookeeper. He fed each animal their allotted food each day and cleaned their pens. He even took the time to groom Joey, which was something no other zookeeper but Alice had the arrogance to try. Private was sure he even saw Andrew leave the zoo at some point only to return with a cart full of fresh fish, hay, and meat for Rodger the alligator. Where he got it Private wasn't sure, but there was a whole city of resources out there so he probably didn't have to go far.

Officer X, on the other hand, had set up some sort of base camp near the fountain. He had what looked to Private as a television with a satellite dish on top of it set up on a table with a bunch of cords leading all over, most of them ending by plugging into the generator. Officer X diligently watched over the equipment, and whenever Private saw Skipper or the other penguins get close, X chased them off.

It was a bit strange how the dark man didn't just shoot the birds on sight with one the scary-looking guns he now had in his possession. If he really was the mercenary from Kowalski's past why didn't he just blow Skipper away for messing with his equipment? Private could only assume that he had some sort of agreement with Mr. Green. That was why they were both still around the zoo. Andrew was obviously taking care of the zoo, but Private didn't see X pick up so much as a bowl of water. What was he still hanging around for?  
>Was he defending the zoo from something? With that notion in the back of his mind, Private found himself growing a small amount of trust for the dark man. Even though he had supposedly performed unspeakable evils, Private had no reason to fear him. Hey, maybe they even had something in common if X still hated Kowalski.<p>

Private himself spent most of his time taking naps, spying on the other animals, or training in Marlene's habitat. He tried to practice as many moves as he could but it was hard without a sparring partner. He tried to get Marlene to practice with him, as he thought the refresher would be useful for her with Clemson around, but she refused to even get into her fighting stance.

When Private had asked, she looked entirely disturbed. Like the simple idea of fighting, even for practice, invoked some of the most horrific memories inside of her. Private knew it was because of the night she had gone ferral on Julien. She used the moves she had learned from Private and Rico during those two weeks on the boat, and she was too scared to even try practicing them again. He diffused the situation quickly after that point by offering to go for a swim instead.

Rico stopped by at irregular intervals to drop off some fish for Private. They didn't talk much, maybe just a little greeting or a goodbye or a check-up on how the other party was doing. Private wasn't particularly interested in talking to Rico, so he was glad for their brief conversations. He couldn't help but notice a difference in the maniac, though.

It was something in his eyes. The way he now always had them narrowed, ever so slightly. Private thought for a moment that the heavyset bird was just still upset with him, but Rico was walking around like that _everywhere_. His eyes that were normally wide with excitement were now narrowed by either anger or exhaustion or confusion. Private could only conclude that Rico was starting to near his breaking point. Either what he was going to have to do about Kowalski was going to have to reveal itself soon or he was going to have an angry explosives-wielding Sargent on his flippers.

Now, as Private sat on top of Marlene's artificial rock mountain, gazing out over the zoo as the sun set on another quiet day, he came to terms with the fact that the penguin quartet he grew to know and love was no more. Never again would they would be a family, no matter how hard Rico tried, no matter how diligently Skipper tried to defend them. As soon as Private killed Kowalski, everything would be set in stone. And it would be a lot worse than it was now.

Suddenly his attention was grabbed by the all-too-familiar sound of Marlene's sobs. He saw her race through the trapdoor and into the habitat before disappearing into the tunnel. Private hesitated a moment before climbing down the mountain and entering, knowing that something bad had happened during Marlene's most recent visit with Julien. Something that maybe she, or he, didn't want to talk about. He steeled himself and entered, knowing that he had to do at least something to help his last remaining friend on the planet.

He found her crying on her bed. Not unlike when he had entered the night after he was discharged from the team, his face gushing blood everywhere. Mixing with her tears on the floor. Blood and tears.

"Marlene?" he said softly as he sat down next to her on the bed, resting his flipper gently on her back. Normally the sight of his friend so broken like that would have brought him to tears of his own, but now he found himself more agitated than sad.

"It's over," she sobbed quickly, gulping for air. "It's over."

Private knew she was talking about her and Julien's relationship. "No it's not," he responded, trying to calm her. He actually had no idea if that was even remotely true, and he knew she already figured that out that as well.

"You don't understand. It's over forever," she repeated.

"What happened?"

Marlene took a few moments to calm herself down, taking a few deep breaths. She didn't lift her head from her pillow, though, and her voice was still incredibly shaky. "I-I was trying to m-make things right again, apologize to J-Julien for freaking o-out on him, but he said that t-the time for that stuff was o-over. There's no more u-us, it never worked out, and he was sorry he ever got involved in my life."

Private was dumbfounded. Would Julien really say something so dark? Something that, even though he was sometimes deaf to other people's feelings, was like daggers to Marlene's ears? Just cut it off so quickly even though Marlene was apologizing profusely? Even though Marlene's disability had once saved their lives?

"I'm a m-monster," said Marlene bitterly before burying her head deeper into her pillow.

Private wouldn't stand to hear her cut herself down like that. He wrenched her up and forced her to look into his eyes. They were wide, her pupils dilated; Private knew she was loosing her sanity even in her great anguish.

"You are not a monster," he told her steadily, and she instantly stopped crying. "You take that back." She didn't respond, so he gave her a gentle shake and repeated more forcefully, "You take that back!"

"I'm not a monster," she offered.

"Good," nodded Private. "I don't know why Julien said those things to you. But he's stupid. He bloody only feels for himself, doesn't care about anyone around him. Your weakness is also your greatest strength Marlene, don't forget that."

Marlene blinked, staring at him with those big, hazel eyes.

Private decided it was the best time to ask about what he was thinking about before. "Remember how a week ago I said that Kowalski needed to die to save the humans?"

"Yeah," she sniffled, rubbing her eyes.

"And that I might have to be the one to do it?"

Private wasn't surprised when the insane statement didn't even coax a reaction out of the otter. "Yeah," she said again.

"Turns out that Kowalski is getting a lot deeper involved in things that I would have hoped," Private told her. "I'm going to need your help with all of this."

That was enough to coax the reaction that probably should have come on the earlier statement. Her eyes went large and she forced herself away from Private like he was suddenly some great enemy. "You want me to help you kill Kowalski?"

Private merely shrugged. He was tired of feeling concerned about it. "I don't know if I—err, we—actually need to kill him, but either way he's got to die, and we've got to find out what he needs to do to save the people."

Marlene's answer was quick. "Kowalski is practically our brother. I'm not laying a paw on him."  
>This sudden denial enraged Private. He hardly noticed it but his brow lowered and his volume rose. "Then why have you been treating it like it's no problem when I have to do it?"<p>

She paused for a moment as she pulled her knees into her chest and looking down at her feet. "Because I can't do it," she responded simply. "I can't kill a friend."

The bird had one idea on his mind as a result of her response. Would _he _be able to do it? He didn't have a problem saying it anymore, but things are easier said than done. "I don't know if I can either," he admitted. "But why are you acting like its fine if I have to?"  
>"Isn't that obvious? I believe every word the Sun said to you. If we want the people back, Kowalski has to die. I just couldn't do it if it came down to me."<p>

Private nodded. "So you're relying on me to do this."

"Right."

There was a slight pause as Private redirected his vision to his own feet. There was only silence until a gentle noise came from the entrance of the cave. He glanced up in that direction and was horrified at what he saw.

In the entrance stood Julien, his face screwed up in realization.

Before Private even had a chance to call his name and lunge for him, Julien had already bolted out into the evening. When Private vaulted onto the brick wall and looked for him, he saw that the lemur king was already three quarters of the way to his destination. Then he was going to tell Skipper about what Private was planning to do. Then there would be no hope of saving the humans.

But surprisingly, as Private jumped off of the wall, he noticed Julien was not running towards the penguin exhibit. He was running towards the lemur enclosure.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>Transitional chapters, hurrah! I needed to pass a few in-story days to be sure that a certain emperor and a certain cyborg's son had time to... travel... And of course _something_ had to happen in that block of time!


	33. An Agreement is Formed

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 32 – An Agreement is Formed<strong>

** ALEXANDER'S PHONE RANG.**

He hadn't heard back from Jeffery since they talked in the communication room of his bunker nearly five days ago, so X wasted no time in answering the little beeping device that wasn't even half the size of his massive hand.

"What's going on?" he greeted.

"Hey, X," returned the high-pitched voice, "How are things holding up over in New York?"  
>"I'm sure they're no better than things in D.C.," said X, causing his friend to chuckle. X didn't even crack a smile, however. "Turns out that storefront alarms are fairly useless when there ain't anyone to respond to them, so we've been eating well," he added.<p>

"Yeah. I've raided the cafeteria here at the base. Good thing the refrigerators are still running, otherwise this whole place would reek like spoiled milk."

"So did you call just to make sure I've been eating well or do you have something important to tell me?" X asked.

"Right, right," came the CIA agent's voice from over the phone, "I got a call in today from our embassy in Argentina. They said they've finally got their equipment working again after some cave-in destroyed their generator."

"Why is that important?" X pestered. He wasn't one who enjoyed listening to stories; if Jeffery didn't have a point, he didn't want to hear it.

"Alright hear me out on this one. I've been thinking about why, with whatever the hell it was that happened, only a couple'a us survived. You said that you and your buddy there in New York were down in your tunnels when the people vanished, right?"

"Yeah," returned X.

"That's just the point. You were in your tunnels. I was in the underground archives here at home base. The only calls I've been getting are from our bases that are documented to have underground bomb shelters. See what I'm gettin' at here?"

X didn't say anything. He was already thinking about the confrontation he had with the convict coal miners in front of his house earlier in the week. They must have also been deep underground when the rest of the people vanished, working in the mines. There must have also been guards there. That explained the blood on the pickaxe of that man with white eyes.

At the unexpected silence Jeffery continued explaining. "The reason we are all still here is because what wiped out all the people on the planet didn't reach underground. At least not very far."

X suddenly realized that his preconceptions about the Rapture were misplaced. The Rapture wouldn't have spared those who were deep underground. But what would, while not leaving a soul untouched on the surface? The large man thought of Andrew's theory about the Sun and began to considered it from a new angle. Was the energy he said it radiated unable to pierce solid rock and soil? X didn't share these thoughts with Jeffery.

"That means there are pockets of survivors all around the planet," he announced like they didn't already know it.

"Exactly. Now I know that's shocking news and all, but it's not the only reason I've called. I've continued doing radiation scans via satellite and I've picked up increased activity at the nuclear power plant a couple'a clicks from where you're positioned. ."

"Someone's turning it on?" asked X.

"Trying to, it seems. The readings haven't been strong enough to signal a full-scale restart, but as long as the proper safety mechanisms are in place down there, it should be completely dead. Something's going on down there, though. Figured you might wanna check it out, because if someone's messing with it and they don't know what they're doing the entire facility could meltdown."

X had heard the horror stories about nuclear power plants and their horrors. He had actually sniped an anti-nuclear activist from the top of a skyscraper while he was giving a speech to send a message. X himself was impartial to the idea, but he had heard of Chernobyl. An entire city ravaged by radiation; those people who once lived there unable to return for nearly a century.

"Have you been messing with it?" asked Jeffery when X didn't respond.

"Naw. I know who might have been at it, though."

"Who?"  
>"There's some convict group of coal miners marauding around town. I ain't seen them in a few days, but they beat up my van trying to get in," explained the large man.<p>

"Convict coal miners?" repeated Jeffery. "Did you get any names? I can look them up in the system for you." There was a sound of ticking keys; Jeffery was no doubt getting the database ready.

"Not a one," returned X.

"Did you see any definitive features? We've got people documented by peculiar tattoos, scars, missing limbs..."

"White eyes," interjected X. "One of 'em had solid white eyes, except for his pupils."  
>"White eyes?" repeated Jeffery as though he didn't believe him. "Hold on."<br>Another sound of ticking and a quiet breathing into the receiver on the other end of the phone. After a few moments of silence X was about to tell the CIA agent to not worry about it, but the other man spoke first.

"Surprisingly I've got something. No direct results for white eyes but I did find someone listed under 'legally blind' with the eye color selection left blank." More typing. "Creepy looking guy. Bony-faced with crooked teeth and a serious overbite?"

"That's him," said X, placing the man in his memories. The man who had fallen to the ground in agony because of a little pepper spray was actually blind?

"Oh, God. His name is Sigmund Underwood. He was arrested last year and convicted guilty for the deaths of seventeen people across six New England states. From his bio here it says that he was known as the Torturer because he claimed to never actually deliver a finishing blow to his victims, just force them to suicide. Before they did he made his victims write a note and then he'd leave the note with the body. Managed to track him down because one of his victims wrote Underwood's location down on his suicide note in code. Says here that he was moved to the Appalachian mines after causing violence with other inmates, and stabbing a couple'a guards while in maximum-security prison."

"Great," huffed X. "Of all the people in the world, the crazy ones get to survive." He couldn't help but think about Andrew.

"Isn't that the truth," returned Jeffery. "Now, it also says that he's failed every eye exam that was given to him since childhood, explaining his legally blind status. He was given a walking stick until he used it to beat a fellow inmate. Doesn't seem like he's having any trouble seeing."

X knew the man might have been blind, but he certainly wasn't handicapped. The way those white orbs stared directly into the other side of his sunglasses signified that the man was aware of his surroundings even if he was. Whether his hearing was supersonic or his touch was unbelievably sensitive, X knew that, though Sigmund didn't have any problems mining, functioning, or fighting.

"This guy is a real troublemaker," concluded Jeffery. "I don't think he'll be a problem for you but just keep an eye open, okay?"  
>"You got it," said X. Jeffery was, after all, his only true friend. If anyone else said that to him he would have punched them in the face for doubting him.<p>

"Alright. I'll call you back if I get any more news on that power plant."

"Sounds good," offered X and the line went dead.

He set the phone down and scanned the perimeter of the zoo. He hadn't seen any sign of that bunch of convicts ever since that one morning in front of his house, but he wasn't doubting their presence. He knew there were many of them and it wouldn't be too hard for them to overpower him in his sleep.

He glanced at his sub-machine gun, resting gently on top of the sniper-rifle case, loaded and ready to go. Twelve guys swinging pickaxes couldn't stand up to the power that thing could dish out, that was for sure. If they came after him, they'd be sorry.

Especially if Sigmund tried to torture him. If X was captured and forced into some horrible, excruciating nightmare, he knew that it wouldn't be a worry. Torture wasn't new to him and he doubted anything the insane criminal could throw at him would do much more than make him flinch. Then, when he got free, he'd snap that tiny man's back like a twig.

"What's this about a serial killer?" came a voice from behind him.

X spun around in a heartbeat, instinctively grabbing the stock of the sub-machine gun and flipping off the safety. He raised it in the direction of the voice and only relaxed when he saw the familiar, dirty business suit.

"Oh jeez, put that thing away!" exclaimed Andrew, waving his hands frantically. When X lowered the barrel he said, "Is that why you brought that thing? Because of a serial killer?"  
>X gently set the gun back down before turning to his radar equipment. He had barely talked to the businessman since their final agreement on the night when everyone disappeared. Andrew kept mostly to himself, tending to the animals and sleeping in the office structure on the other side of the zoo while X set up his equipment and went into town occasionally for food. The most the ever spoke was when Andrew came to get something to eat, and judging by the pastry in his hands, that was why he was there now.<p>

X was glad things were that way, though. Even in this situation that called for them to work together as much as possible, he found himself wanting nothing to do with Andrew. But still he felt compelled to stick around the zoo. It was a curious feeling. Maybe he just respected that red-haired woman Alice enough to fulfill his promise or maybe he enjoyed the tranquility that the zoo offered. Or maybe the penguins were just entertaining enough.

Still, even now as the stout man sat on a bench a little ways from him, he didn't feel like talking. Perhaps it was for nothing else than the fact that the man reeked of five-day-old business suit.

"There's a serial killer around?" asked Andrew, getting X's attention. Maybe he did at least deserve to know that.

"Yeah. He's the Torturer, and he ain't playin' around. He's after any and all businessmen," joked X, albeit darkly. He almost laughed when Andrew looked down at his ruined tie.

"I've seen stories of that man on the news," he responded. "How did he get out of prison?" At X's look he added, "Oh... right."

"Still, keep an eye out for activity. I spotted him a few days back, though I don't think he's around here anymore."

"What do you mean 'you spotted him'?" Andrew suddenly sounded angry, sitting straight up. "You mean to tell me a psychopath might be just over one of these walls and you didn't tell me?"  
>"So?" X scoffed.<p>

Andrew lowered his brow and pushed his glasses up his nose. Then he held out his hand and said, "Give me a gun."

X threw up his hands. "Whoa. Look who went all bad-ass all of the sudden."

Andrew curled his fingers like he was beckoning the weapon. "You're not around enough to ensure the zoo's safety from someone like that," he argued. "Now, give me a gun."

The large man couldn't help but laugh at the stout man's determination. After a moment he countered, "Ain't that what you hired me for in the first place? 'Protection'?"

Andrew's arm fell and his face went blank. "I suppose you are correct."  
>"Exactly," said X. Then he pulled his handgun out of its holster on his belt and walked over to the businessman. He held the gun out for a moment, and though he hesitated, Andrew finally grabbed it. At his now confused expression X explained. "The Torturer's got at least twelve baddies with him. I might need your help."<p>

Andrew nodded before closing his grip tightly on the stock of the gun and looking at it intently. He turned it over a few times in his hands before X asked, "Please tell me you've used one before."

Andrew looked up at him and smiled. "Only every weekend for the last six months."

"You a gun enthusiast?"

"Not in the slightest. After rescuing those penguins in Antarctica Alice convinced me that we could use some proper weapons training. Looks like it might actually pay off," explained the stout man.

For once, X smiled back. He was suddenly glad that Andrew was with him. What Jeffery had said earlier in the week was true; things would be a lot harder if he was alone. Andrew had all but forgotten about his corporate empire and his surveillance equipment and even about harassing X whenever he got the chance. Perhaps now he was going to make a great ally. Not a friend, that was too much of a connection. Just an ally.

X walked over to the sniper-rifle case and grabbed the sub-machine gun once again. Turning around, he said, "There's been some unexplained activity up at the power plant just outside of town. I'm going to go check it out."  
>"Do you think it's the Torturer?" asked Andrew.<p>

"Maybe," responded the large man. "Whatever you do, though, be on your toes."

* * *

><p>Julien was faster than he looked. By the time Private was on the pavement after launching himself as far as he could from Marlene's wall, the lemur king was already concealed from view inside the lemur habitat. Private didn't understand why he ran there. He had just heard of his plans to kill Kowalski, so why wasn't his first stop the penguin HQ?<p>

Even though he didn't go directly there, what was Private going to do about it, anyway? Try to force Julien to not tell anyone about it? Kill him? No. There was nothing he could do now. Word was out and in no time Kowalski was going to be aware that Private was after him. Then Skipper would make every attempt possible to get Private out of the zoo in addition to his current state of discharge.

With his new realization, Private waddled slowly to the lemur habitat. He didn't know why he didn't just turn around; after all, he might as well get a head start before his ex-leader came after him. Maybe he just wanted to see if there was any hope in getting Julien to keep his big mouth shut. He pushed through the trapdoor to the lemur enclosure and gasped suddenly as he was instantly tackled by the monochromatic lemur.

He struggled for a moment, trying to cry something out. Julien's paw was clamped firmly over his beak though and it was only a matter of time before Mort and Maurice rounded a bush with a coil of rope stretched between themselves. Private struggled harder at the sight of it but Julien was strangely strong. His training during the trip to Antarctica had obviously had an effect on him.

After a few minutes Private was tied tightly to the base of a bush, the coil of rope extending around his feathered frame many times, almost like a cocoon. Private himself had his eyes closed, his face directed towards the ground. His scar was pinging with pain and his flippers were quivering. He was glad the lemurs restrained him, otherwise he might have attacked all of them right there.

There was some whispering coming from the lemurs who were huddled together a short distance away. Finally, Julien stepped forward and said awkwardly, "Err, hello der, fishy penguin."

Private looked up. "What do you want?" He asked tiredly. He knew why he had been tied up already.

"Sorry about the rope," said Maurice. "Julien said that you were after him and we didn't have much time to try to negotiate." The lemur king came over and tugged on a length of rope as though he was ensuring it was tight.

A moment passed before Mort asked in his high-pitched whine, "Why'd we tie up Private?"

Julien crossed his arms behind his back and turned up his snout as though he was about to say something very important. Then he kind of ruined the whole look by jumping forward, making Mort flinch. "Can't you see dat crazy look in his eye?" he shouted. At the confused look Mort and Maurice gave him he added, "He knows how to bring de people back!"

"Is that true, Private?" asked Maurice.

The small bird nodded. If he didn't just admit it now, Julien was going to tell them anyway. "In a dream, before everyone disappeared in the Mass Absorption, the Sun told me that to save the people Kowalski had to make some big sacrifice by dieing."

Mort gasped and Maurice looked shocked. "Are you sure?" he asked.  
>Private huffed. "You don't have to believe me, but that's all I've got to say."<p>

"No, no," he responded. "It's not like that. See, Julien's been telling us all about your dreams and what you told him. He said that the Sun was the real reason behind the human's disappearing not some stupid solar flare."

"We believe you," assured Mort.

"Of course we do, you sillies!" exclaimed Julien, throwing his arms in the air. "Now de small fishy-penguin says dat de smart fishy-penguin must die to save de people, and he was going to be de one to do it."

"Maurice went wide-eyed and looked at Private. "Are you seriously going to do that?"  
>"Yes," he responded dryly. Then he spoke directly to Julien. "If you tell anyone the whole idea is ruined, though. Kowalski can't catch word of this."<p>

Julien shook his head. "Pfft, silly bird," he said. "I am not to be telling anyone about your crazy plans. I am to be helping you."


	34. A Suspicious Activity

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 33 – A Suspicious Activity<strong>

** "YOU WANT TO HELP ME?"**

Private repeated Julien's words in the form of a question only to express his confusion. He was sure that, when Julien became armed with the knowledge of his dark plan to save the humans, Kowalski was going to be the first one he told. Now, he was instead bound tightly to a stump of a bush, looking wide-eyed at the lemur who had an almost warm smile on his face.

"Of course I am wanting to help you!" Julien exclaimed. Private couldn't help but notice how jumpy he was in his statements, always jumping in to answer obvious statements and throwing his hands up like he was upset. Then again, Julien was usually always like that.

"I mean, why do you want to help me?" Private clarified. He glanced over at Maurice and Mort who were looking up at their leader with shock.

"You were speaking dat the people can only be brought back with de power of de smart fishy-penguins death, yes?" Julien explained.

"But, your highness," Maurice said, "you can't be serious about wanting to kill Kowalski to get the people back. There must be some other answer, maybe some sort of deeper meaning in the prophesy."

"There is not," countered the lanky lemur smugly. Then he suddenly pointed at Maurice and said, "Unless you have been talking to de Sun thingy, too!"

Maurice shook his paws in front of him. "I've never even seen that thing, let alone talk to it."

"Exactly," Julien affirmed. He then turned back to Private. "Now, what is it we need to be doing with de tall bird?"

That was so much like Julien, thought Private. Assuming that, even though he had given no proper response to the question of whether or not he even _wanted_ the lemur king's help, the answer was yes. Just barging right in and thinking the simple fact that he was now involved was going to solve all of the problems.

Should he accept Julien's help? With the Hoboken animals due to arrive in only twenty-four hours time, maybe it would be a good thing. Private wasn't sure if Kowalski was going to do something crazy like help capture Skipper or something after spending so much time with Emilio. After all, the bird had done it once before in the Antechamber. Private's earlier talk with Marlene had showed that, even though she was his only real friend anymore, she wasn't much use to him. Perhaps Julien would be a good ally through all of it, thought Private. After all, he seemed eager enough to kill Kowalski.

Then a problem hit Private. What did Julien stand to gain from it? Why would he be so interested in cutting down a bird who had so far only been his friend? Was there something pushing the lemur like maybe the Sun was convincing him somehow? No, it wasn't the Sun. Private knew why Julien wanted the people back so bad.

"This is about Clemson, isn't it?" Private asked. Julien instantly froze and his face fell blank, like some huge secret was revealed. It only took him a moment to replace the blank look with one of befuddlement as he kind of grunted and shrugged.

Maurice was the one to speak. "Okay, I know Clemson's after your hide but you should think this through, Julien."

"Clemson? I am not being scared of Clemson," Julien scoffed, lowering his voice to make himself sound bigger.

"Then why do you talk in your sleep about him, your majesty?" Mort asked.

"Shut up, okay?" Julien shot to the mouse lemur and then lowered his brow at Private, crossing his long arms over his chest. "And how are you knowing about Clemson?" he asked.

"Ma—" Private cut himself off, wondering if telling Julien that Marlene had shared his secret with him was a good idea or not. It was clear that the king had not been standing in the doorway long enough to hear that part. "Err, my dreams. Sometimes I kind of live other people's memories, and I remember hearing something about Clemson when I was you in the dream," he lied.

Julien blinked, as if he was contemplating the idea. "Den you must be knowing all about his secret ninja-assassin abilities."

"Didn't catch that part," offered Private, trying to look innocent.

"We don't really know where he got his training or how he got to Madagascar, but about a year before Julien was banished he showed up and started bringing dead fossa puppies into the camp," Maurice explained.

"He was pretty crazy," added Mort.

"Dat's right. So I did de banshing and what-not faster den a durian falls from a tree," continued Julien.

"We didn't see any sign of him for weeks until one night he came to the king's throne and nearly stabbed Julien with a fossa tooth," said Maurice.

"It is being good dat I have cat-like reflexes," announced Julien, who then began chopping the air like he was dodging a knife blade.

"Now he must have tracked Julien down to finish what he started," finished Maurice.

Private nodded. "And you think bringing the people back will mean he can't get to you?" he asked Julien.

"De people would capture him as soon as de saw him outside de zoo," explained Julien, "or maybe de crazy zookeeper lady can kick him back to Hoboken."

Private contemplated the situation. Should he accept Julien's help and have a possible ally in his everyday increasingly hard task or would the lanky lemur even prove to be useful? Julien was an able fighter but also a cowardly one. In the event that Private needed to fend off Skipper or Rico he probably wouldn't even fight back. Still, Private knew that he'd at least attempt to defend himself against the Hoboken zoo animals, so that was one benefit.

"So anyway, what is it dat Kowalski needs to be doing?" Julien asked. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, but was still had sort of a nervous tick. Every few moments he was checking his surroundings intently by swiveling his head gently side to side. Private finally placed the action; the lemur was looking for Clemson.

"I don't know yet," he admitted and Julien's jaw dropped.

"What do you mean 'you don't know yet'?" asked Maurice.

"The Sun never quite told me. It just told me that Kowalski must make a big sacrifice by dieing and that was it. I got too angry or something the last time I talked to it and now I'm completely clueless."

"How are we supposed to be saving de people when we don't even know what to be doing," Julien said, obviously angered by the idea.

"Now you know what I've been feeling the last two weeks," responded Private. He shifted slightly in the rope. "Can you guys please untie me now? I'm not going anywhere."

Julien looked between Private and Maurice and then said to the latter, "Chunky Monkey, untie the fishy-penguin."

Maurice grumbled before retrieving a knife from the lemur's nearby bar and proceeding to cut the ropes. "Sorry about this again, Private," he offered, "we thought for sure you were going to attack Julien and we wouldn't get a chance to talk to you."

"No worries," the bird answered, feeling his feet hit the ground as the ropes loosened. He made sure not to tell them that he had actually considered killing Julien.

When he was free, Private smoothed his feathers while the conversation continued. "So when do we know what Kowalski needs to do?" Maurice asked.

"We wait," Private responded. "And tomorrow Clemson and Buck Rockgut will be back to see if Skippah's going to surrender. We know he's not going to, so we at least have that delay. By the way, was he doing anything special to prepare for Rockgut's return?"

"Skipper came to tell us about Clemson right after he left," answered Maurice, "but besides that it doesn't seem like he's been doing much. He hasn't rallied a zoo meeting to request help from the other animals and I haven't even seen him do any surveillance. In fact, I'd say he's looking a little worse for wear. Kind of tired; maybe he's cracking under the pressure?"  
>Private had only caught glimpses of Skipper during the six day span since their fight, so he wasn't able to see the same things Maurice must have. It was very believable, though. Even as robust and clear-minded as Skipper was, he was under a lot of stress. Everything from Officer X to the Hoboken animals to that terrible night in the bunker when Private was discharged.<p>

"He needs help," the small bird concluded. Maurice nodded. The last thing he wanted to do was help out the one animal that had just caused him so much pain, so much anger in the last two weeks that he wanted nothing to do with him. What was really important now, however, was getting close to Kowalski. If Skipper got captured by Buck, then Private was going to let it happen. So long as Kowalski was living long enough to fulfill his destiny.

"What can we do?" asked Mort.

"We can fight," returned Private.

"We're not fighters," countered Maurice.

Julien punched the air. "Me and de fishy-penguin are. We fought de evil penguins in de Ant-tar-tica, remember?"

"Right, right," Maurice agreed. He didn't look very happy, but he must have known that it had to come to this. "So what are you guys going to do?"

Private tapped his beak. "We'll camp out near the entrance to the zoo, out of sight but close enough to jump in if a fight breaks out."

The wide lemur nodded. "Do you have any clue when they'll be back?"

"Sometime tomorrow," returned Private. "And when they do, we'll be waiting."

* * *

><p>Officer X hopped out of his van and locked it behind him, knowing that the band of convicts would be try to bust into it again if they got the chance. He couldn't risk letting them get at the equipment inside.<p>

He pulled his sub-machine gun closer to his chest and glanced at his surroundings. Just like the rest of the city, the barren field surrounding the massive smokestacks of the nuclear power plant were completely void of life. That didn't mean that it was entirely impossible for the convicts to be hiding inside the building, though. Crouched behind crates, clinging to ceiling supports. Ready to pierce X's skull with their pickaxes at the first opportunity.

The building itself was massive; two gigantic concrete columns for releasing steam vapor and many smaller facilities for manning the many controls and monitors that were required to prevent a catastrophic disaster. There also looked like there was some kind of dining hall, maybe even a little area for sleeping. Did some engineers have to work the plant overnight in case of emergencies? He wasn't sure.

After all, X wasn't an expert on power plants. The only other time he had been around one was when he needed to infiltrate one in a small town just outside of Dallas to shut off power to a portion of the city long enough to take out a senator while he tried to calm the masses. That had been a coal plant and shutting it off was as easy as restraining the staff and turning down the burns that boiled the water. He had the unique feeling that this experience was going to be a little more complicated, however.

He figured he'd start looking for some sort of main control room, maybe there was some kind of control panel. He could then search for any signs of recent activity, maybe even find those convicts.

As he approached what he assumed was the main structure in the failing evening light, he wondered why they would even be there. What did a bunch of convicts stand to gain from restarting a nuclear power plant? If they needed electricity, they could have just raided a hardware store and stolen a gas generator. What else could they gain from being here? Heat? Shelter?

Power. Not the electrical power that the plant produced, but social power. If Sigmund Underwood was here, it was because he knew what he was doing and he knew that there were still some other people left in the world. He wanted to know he'd be safe in New York; that everyone else would know that it was his turf and anyone who came after him would be vaporized in a nuclear explosion. That, if they ever got in a scrap, a single button push could wipe half of the eastern seaboard off of the map. That was why.

With his new realization in tow, X carefully pushed open the main door to the plant. The lights were on, showing that the power plant was still producing just enough electricity to power at least itself. The doors all of the doors looked unlocked and the entire place seemed as though there had been a recent ruckus. No doubt due to the fact that the people working in the plant were vaporized in the middle of their workday, thought X.

He carefully walked into a hallway after the main foyer, intently listening for any sounds of movement. The entire place was silent; not even a slight groan from the concrete or a gentle moving of air and dust around him. The only sound that bounced up and down the long, concrete hallway now was his own boots clicking against the pavement below him.

X found a sign that directed him towards the main control room a short ways down the hallway and decided to head that way. He held his weapon at the ready, pressed against the crook of his shoulder with his eye looking down the barrel. His process was slow and methodical; he scanned each room before walking passed it knowing that maybe one of the convicts was hiding behind the door.

His only comfort was in the fact that maybe, just maybe, the Torturer was going to try to take him alive. That would be a huge mistake, he thought.

He froze suddenly as he heard what sounded like a crunching of glass beneath a boot. It wasn't his own, so he stood still for a moment and listened for another signal of another person's presence. After a second he heard a soft whir, almost like it was coming from an engine. It seemed to be coming from down the hallway and he headed in that direction as silently as he could go.

He leaned up against the wall just outside of the control room, feeling his muscles tense up slightly. He had been through this way too many times for his heart rate to get accelerated, but his hands still grew rock steady when he knew he was on the brink of a firefight. It was something that always gave him a bit of an edge; growing more keen in intense situations rather than slow and ungainly.

There was a clinking from inside the room that seemed fairly loud. It was a distinct sound: metal on metal. Someone was pounding one of the control panels with a tool. Not just any tool, either: a pickaxe.

X tightened the grip on the handle of his weapon, resting his finger on the trigger. He had thirty rounds in this gun, and they could be dealt a lot faster than from his pistol. Even if all twelve of the convicts were in that room, they wouldn't be able to touch him. With the knowledge that the men were convicts and they might be trying to force a meltdown at the power plant, X pushed off the wall.

Within a second he spun into the opening of the doorway and prepared to open fire on the first thing that moved. He didn't see what he expected, however. There were no orange jumpsuits, no pickaxes, no man with whites.

Before him, staring up at him with his face twisted in fear, was a penguin.

He realized that right as he pulled the trigger. He managed to pull the barrel of the gun up the tiny millimeter that it needed for the bullet to careen over the penguin's head and not become imbedded in its skull. The penguin ducked, rolling off the control panel it had been pounding on with a small wrench.

X let his gun fall to his side, unsure of what to do. The penguin, who he now realized was the tall penguin he was supposed to be watching over, was scrambling to pick itself off the floor. It raced over and grabbed its clipboard from the ground before freezing when it realized X was standing in the only exit.

They stared at each other like that for a moment. X's face was blank, his eyes shielded from view by his sunglasses, his gun hanging limply at his side. The penguin's eyes were narrowed, its clipboard clutched closely to its chest.

That was what it was like, those ten long years ago. Except this time X wasn't pointing a gun at the bird, and the bird wasn't running away. There wasn't a pool of reddening water between them, and they weren't sure that the other was the enemy. X's gun wasn't jammed and the penguin wasn't crawling into the air vents. Now they were just standing there, in the silence, the bullet hole of X's missed shot sending little wisps of smoke into the air.

X realized what was actually going on too late. That little metal whirring turned out to be something X had never seen before. It was what looked like a segue, a big rubber wheel with a control panel on the end of a long column coming from a platform. What he hadn't seen before, however, was what was riding it.

A dolphin. Out of water, mobile, riding a machine made for humans. Careening down the hallway towards him. X raised his gun again but wasn't sure if he should shoot or not. The dolphin seemed to accelerate before X sidestepped it by entering the doorway of the control room. He had forgotten about the penguin inside, however, and felt a powerful kick to his back. He stumbled forward just in time to be whacked across the side of the head by the dolphin's segue.

Dizzy, he fell to the ground, his sunglasses bouncing on the concrete not far from him. The two animals wasted no time and used the moment to escape down the hallway. By the time X was on his feet again they were well out of the building, running through the same way he entered.

Was that one of the dolphins from the facility? Working together with one of the penguins? X couldn't believe it. He knew that some of the animals had survived, but he had no idea that they would someday be working together to start a power plant.

Start a power plant. It became clear to X that he had grossly underestimated the intelligence these animals possessed. They were far more than just assassins; they were practically rocket scientists. Smarter than him, he realized. Well, maybe not with surveillance equipment.

The thought jogged his memory. He had forgotten about his penguin monitor from Alice, the one that was linked to the tall penguin who just kicked him in the back. He had grown tired of looking at images of that dead dolphin and terrible pictures of himself with red x's, so for a few days he hadn't even looked at it.

He hurried out to the van, still keeping an eye out for the convicts and now the dolphin/penguin combo. He opened the door and felt inside the slot on the interior of it, looking for the little device. He thought he had put it right there. Where could it have gone?  
>Then he realized what happened. That man, Sigmund Underwood had it. X knew the pepper spray shouldn't have affected him; a hardened criminal like that would have built up an immunity to it. He had acted like he was in pain as a distraction to slip the monitor from X's pocket. How the man even knew the device was in his pocket was a mystery to him.<p>

X hopped in the van and started it, tossing his gun sloppily on the passenger seat. If that man really did have that monitor, that means for several days he had direct vision of the inside of the zoo, X, the equipment, Andrew. X floored the van and headed straight for the Zoo, wondering if the Torturer was already there.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>I got a comment on the previous chapter that you guys tend to favor these chapters that are split into more than one PoV so I think I'll keep it up as much as possible. It makes things more interesting and makes room for longer chapters, at least.


	35. A Terrible Storm

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 33 – A Terrible Storm<br>**

** DMITRI SAT ON THE BOW OF THE RESEARCH VESSEL.**

Over its edge he dangled his feet, leaning forward on the guard rail with his head resting on his flippers. He was staring at the never-ending expanse of blue on the horizon, the calm waters gently lapping at the metal hull of the ship below his feet. The cool, salty air gently pushed his unruly feathers as his deep green eyes stared over the sea. On the horizon were a few ominous clouds, but other than that the sky was as clear and blue as the sea it blanketed.

The journey had been a disappointingly uneventful one. All he did was sit up at the bow of the ship and cruise along the surface of the water in a northward direction. Occasionally he ate some of the fish they had brought with or took control of the wheel to give Irena a few hours of rest. But other than that, he had been left to his own thoughts.

One thought in particular kept pushing its way to the front of his mind like a bull in a china shop. Who was he? Who was Dmitri Mooneyes? He had some small hope that, when they left Antarctica, it wouldn't take long for him to be able to answer that. Now he was just as confused as ever and in addition to that pretty much lost in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Just a nameless penguin drifting through the world, his backpack firmly planted over his shoulders, not sure of where he wanted to go, not sure of what he wanted to see. Not even sure of who he was.

It was a strange thought that he'd regret leaving the Penguin City. He was so filled with hatred and anger towards the emperors there for keeping the secret of his true identity from him that when they left he wanted nothing to do with them, but now he was almost entirely unsure of himself. Did he really make a good decision? Going out into the world without even knowing what he was chasing? Identity? Family?  
>Maybe it was family. After all, the fact that Irena was on that boat with him filled him with great comfort. With Melanda and Banar possibly on the other side of the globe, he had nobody besides the female emperor. He was glad that she had so forcibly joined him and piloted the ship, otherwise he wouldn't have made it far.<p>

They didn't talk much about their altercation on that snowbank outside the Penguin City. When it did come up, it was usually indirectly and the subject was changed immediately like it was a minefield they didn't want to intrude upon. Dmitri remembered the terrified look on Irena's face when he came inches from slamming her into the snow, and realized that he made a big mistake.

It only took a week of solitude for him to figure that out, he figured. Irena was a good friend to him. Sticking by his bedside while he suffered seizures upon coming out his drug-induced coma. Showing him the temple which held the only hope of saving all the penguins of the Penguin City. Following him into the blizzard and traveling the globe with him. That was real commitment, something that Dmitri thought he knew until he heard about the world of lies he was a part of only a few weeks ago.

Regardless, he decided to take a piece of Edgar's advice and leave what happened in the past behind. Irena didn't deserve the treatment he was giving her, and he was going to try to make up for it. He wasn't sure exactly how, but he knew he could at least start with an apology.

He hopped up and headed for the helm. Irena spotted him through the front window and he smiled, but she only redirected her attention back out over the water. She had been like that ever since they first left; never smiling, never laughing. Almost an entirely different bird, thought Dmitri. Like they were strangers now instead of the good friends that had held flippers before making the biggest decision of their lives.

"Hey, Irena," said Dmitri upon entering the captain's cabin.

"Hey," the tall emperor responded, not turning to look at him. Dmitri could see her beak turned into the concrete frown she had held ever since their first day of travel, and it saddened him.

"So, where do you think we are?" Dmitri asked, trying to make sense of the map that the emperor had laid out on a small table beside the captain's chair. This question gained the female's attention and she looked down at the map, leaving the boat to drive itself for a few moments.

"I'm not entirely sure how to read this map," she responded, "but based on the climate we are in I'd say we're starting to get pretty far into the Northern Hemisphere by now."

"So we're going to hit cold again sometime soon?" asked Dmitri.

"Yeah," Irena responded, finally making eye contact with the green-eyed penguin. After a moment she said, "Kind of stupid to just be going to a place just like where we came from."

That statement was one that was design to dig into his mind, leaving behind regret and pain. She had been dropping them occasionally since their departure, and Dmitri knew exactly why. She was feeling animosity towards Dmitri's decision to leave the Penguin City. Even though he regretted leaving Antarctica so hastily, he didn't regret leaving that city. Nothing she said was going to change that, no matter how hurtful.

"Then let's not go any further north," Dmitri countered. "Is there land near here? We could go there. We're running low on food and fuel anyway, aren't we?"

Irena closed her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath. Dmitri could tell she was tired, and decided to slow down a bit. Finally she responded, "That would probably be a good choice."

With that, Irena spun the wheel sharply and Dmitri had to grab onto the table to prevent himself from falling. He watched the compass spin from it's northward point to an eastward one and wondered where they would end up. Some strange, tropical island? Some forested coastline? The only thing that was familiar to him were the snowdrifts and glaciers of his old home, so that was all he could picture. He couldn't imagine seeing anything else.

When the boat's new course was set, Irena said, "You take the wheel for a few hours. I need to get some rest."

She hopped of the boat then, and Dmitri knew he had to act. Now was a good time to apologize for his wrongful choices, his hurtful words. "Irena, wait."  
>She turned to him, her gray eyes seeming to light up a little bit. Dmitri stepped forward, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "I just wanted to say, uh, thanks for getting us up here."<p>

Dmitri was surprised when her frown turned upward. She almost sounded happy when she responded, "You definitely owe me for this one."  
>The male chuckled. Recalling his time spent sick on the slab of ice in the Penguin City he said, "Better make that two things."<p>

Irena's expression went back to something serious. "No, just one."

"What do you mean?"

"I owe you for not stopping me when I went to put the Sun on that other pedestal, and then forgiving me about it. I know you were upset about your city and everything, but that really meant a lot to me."

Dmitri smiled widely, managing to coax a smile out of the female. He couldn't help but notice how cute she was when she did. Such a tiny little upward turn at the corners of her beak, the slightest narrowing of her eyes. Such a tiny expression but something that filled his heart with a warmness he had not experienced in a long time. Not since Melanda first held him after taking him from his dead mother.

"Don't worry about it," he reminded her. "You did the right thing. All the emperors are safe. Maybe even Banar and Melanda, too."

She blinked, her smile fading. "Do you think they are okay?"

"I hope so," he responded. "If I had to guess, they got stuck on a boat like we are now."

"That's if they weren't just killed right after they left town," shot Irena dimly, and she backed up to the wall behind her before slouching down and holding her head in her flippers. The whole action caught Dmitri off guard, and though he stepped forward to comfort her he froze when he noticed her taking in shaky breaths.

After a moment he asked, "You miss your dad, don't you?"

No response other than a slow nod. Dmitri waddled over to the female and sat next to her, gently bringing a flipper up and wrapping it around her. She seemed to accept the gesture and gently rested some of her weight on him before leaning her head into the crook of his flipper.

"I miss Melanda, too," he said.

Irena looked up at him like she didn't believe he just said that. At least not after the terrible things he said about her on the snowbank and in his house. However, she looked back down and said, "I'm sure she misses you, too."  
>"And don't worry," he told her. "Banar is a resourceful penguin. If they managed to survive the humans long enough for us to zap them, he'd manage to commandeer the boat and the other emperors home safely."<p>

"Do you really think that?" asked Irena.

"Of course," smiled Dmitri. Then there was silence for a few moments before Dmitri said, "I'm sorry for everything I said to you back when we left."

She immediately snapped her head back up, pushing away from him suddenly. Her eyes were a little wide as she stated, "Everything you said was true."

"The truth can hurt, though," countered Dmitri. "There's a time and a place to deal with it. That wasn't either of those. I was upset about the humans, tired from the trip, and angry from finding out about my dad. I should have calmed down before I just ran away from the city."

"It's really our fault," admitted Irena. "We should have told you a long time ago. We shouldn't have held you from seeing your—"

Dmitri held a flipper to her beak to shush her. "It wasn't 'we'. It was Banar and Melanda. Don't forget that."

Irena nodded. "I still could have told you, though."

"We're young, aren't we?" Dmitri observed. "You couldn't be expected to go against your father's wishes and tell me." He nudged her gently, coaxing that tiny smile again. "Now stop hijacking my apology, would you?

"Banar just wanted to protect you, you know. He wanted to bring you slowly into the idea that you were the last of your society because he thought you wouldn't be able to handle it."

If what had happened to his real father was true, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. It was still terrible for Banar to have not at least given him the option of seeing him. "A good leader, that's for sure," he commented.

"Yeah." A sudden pause as she sighed. Her voice suddenly sounded a little unsteady as she said, "There's a bigger part of the whole thing that you weren't told, either."

Dmitri perked up, looking down at the emperor who was now leaning onto him with all of her weight. "What's that?"

"Well, Banar knew you were the last penguin from your society. He never liked your kind, but he thought it would be tragic for an entire breed of penguins to just kind of... die out..."

"What do you mean?" wondered Dmitri. "I'm the last of a thousand, and I barely know anything about my society. It's gone, and nothing is going to change that now."

"That's not what I mean," she argued, then glanced towards the ground awkwardly. Her voice still had that uneasy shakiness to it as she said, "He meant you as a... species of penguin. I mean like, your really dark feathers and your quickness. What makes you different from an emperor."

"I can't be the last of my species," said Dmitri. "There's got to be more like me out there. It's a big world, right?"

"Maybe. But Banar wanted to be safe. He wanted to protect your bloodline." She paused and he felt her flipper suddenly weave its way through the feathers on his side, grabbing it almost like a handhold. "He wanted... us... to..."

Suddenly she was interrupted by a loud clatter on the deck of the boat. Both of them sat up and looked out the window. The ominous looking clouds that Dmitri had seen earlier had increased in volume and intensity, and now they were blotting out the sky entirely. It wasn't raining yet, but the banging of hail on the deck of the boat was unmistakable.

"Oh no," mumbled Irena, jumping back up onto the captains chair as fast as she could. She pushed the throttle as far as it could go.

"What's going on?" Dmitri asked from the floor.

"That's a terrible storm," she explained. "I was afraid we'd run into one."

Dmitri wanted to argue as though they didn't have to worry about the storm but then the wind began to pick up. With a massive gust it rushed through the open door of the cabin and moments later it brought rain with it. It started as a tiny drizzle then then almost entirely unexpectedly it came down in a think sheet, making it even darker than the clouds could.

Dmitri noticed Irena struggling to force the door shut against the now powerful wind, and he moved to help her. Together they managed to push the heavy door until it clicked. Wide-eyed they look at each other, not sure of what to do.

"Can we outrun it?" asked Dmitri, suddenly fearful for their safety. The hail was coming down heavier now, starting to coat the deck of the boat before them with a thick sheet of ice. The rain was torrential as well, forming little rivers that carved their way through that ice.

"No way," said Irena, then slapped her head. "Why didn't I notice those clouds before!"

Dmitri pulled her flipper away, trying to calm her down. He knew that, like in the antechamber, this was a time to remain calm and think clearly. "That doesn't matter now," he said. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Just wait it out," Irena said as waves began to rock the boat back and forth by a ludicrous amount. "And hope we don't capsize."

The boat was beginning to sway so heavily that Dmitri had to grab onto the base of the captain's chair to prevent himself from tumbling over. He still held Irena's flipper as she stumbled, trying to keep her balance as the boat came dangerously close to rolling over entirely. Eventually Irena fell onto him and he held her up for a little while, holding onto the chair with his free flipper.

From what he could see the waves were getting larger and larger, now pouring over the sides of the boat and onto the deck. The little ice cubes that were once large hunks of hail were cleaned away as the boat threatened to sink entirely. The clouds seemed to be surrounding them from all directions, leaving no end to the madness in sight.

Dmitri gently pulled Irena to the floor as the movement of the cabin made him begin to feel dizzy. He wrapped his other flipper around her, now bracing himself against the chair and pulled her into his chest. She was shaking and he was terrified, but he gained comfort from knowing that she was there with him.

"It'll be okay. Shh. It'll be okay," he whispered quietly. Just like Melanda used to say to him during the worst of the blizzards back at the Penguin City. This seemed to calm Irena down some and she forced herself deeper into his feathers as a particularly large wave crashed over the size of the boat, sending streams of water down the windows.

"It'll be okay, It'll be okay," he began to repeat louder, faster. The storm was continuing to increase in strength. Irena was shaking again as another giant wave crashed against the door, sending a terrifying groan of bending metal around the room. "It'll be okay, It's just a storm, It'll be okay," he told her, smoothing her feathers.

The truth was, they were not okay.

All it took was the momentum from the largest wave yet, the right angle, and the help of the wind to send the ship into a terrible spiral. Tumbling down the side of the wave, the boat became trapped between that and another one, being forced several feet underwater. Dmitri was tossed towards the ceiling of the cabin, managing to maintain his hold on Irena's flipper. He heard her cry out as the force of the water smashed the flimsy glass that was their only shield and seawater poured into the room. Within seconds, they would be entirely submerged.

"Take a deep breath," Dmitri desperately instructed and Irena seemed to obey. He attempted to secure his backpack straps by pulling them tighter and then did the same himself.

He dove sharply then, dragging Irena after him. She got the idea within seconds and paddled with her own free flipper and feet, propelling them faster forward. They attempted to make their way through the smashed window, but a sharp movement from the boat smashed Irena's head against the metal frame. Dmitri felt her body go limp in his flipper and gasped, letting his precious air bubbles escape and mix with the glass shards floating around him.

Free of the spinning wreckage, Dmitri pulled as hard as he could, making his way to the surface. He couldn't see how far they were under, but his lungs were already burning. Irena couldn't have been much better; she was completely unconscious. He broke the surface just as darkness began to creep in from the corners of his vision and inhaled sharply, forcing the water that had entered his beak out. Irena was bobbing near him. She didn't seem to be breathing and he feared the worse.

Suddenly another large wave send him spiraling under the surface again and he was dazed, unsure of what direction was up. He hastily swam in one direction, disorientated. The only thing he knew was that he had lost Irena's flipper. He couldn't see her anywhere as he swam, desperate for anything to stabilize himself against.

The ship, now rising as the force of the water was no longer great enough to keep it submerged, clobbered him. He was forced sharply upward by the underside of the boat, barely missing the sharp blades of the propeller. He inhaled as the much air as he could, struggling to fight against the rain that pelted his flippers.

After taking a few precious seconds to get his bearings again, he caught sight of Irena's limp body sliding off the other side of the upturned boat. He rushed for her and managed to grab her flipper before she was dragged under by the current. He hoisted her large frame up onto the belly of the boat, knowing that he had to find something to stabilize them so they wouldn't be knocked off by the next big wave. For a few precious moments the waves seemed to be meeting and crashing in unison with the roaring thunder around him, leaving the boat steady enough to walk on.

His first idea was the propeller; maybe he could grab onto it for support? Pulling Irena along the boat's glossy surface behind him, he spotted a trap door. Unsure of why something like that was found on the bottom of a boat, but glad anyway, he turned the latch and wrenched it open. He dropped Irena roughly in before jumping in himself and latching it behind himself again.

What he found on the other side was a tiny room, and with the trapdoor shut, it was entirely dark. He felt openings on the walls that dug into his back. The floor was uneven and made it difficult for him to find a stable position.

When he did, he pulled Irena's limp form closer to himself and desperately pushed on her chest, doing what he had seen happen one or two times during fishing trips gone awry back in the Penguin City. He knew he needed to force the water out of her lungs if possible, but it was awkward in the tiny space and he knew he wasn't doing it right. Eventually he gave up and instead brought his ear close to her beak, listening for any sound of breathing.

Suddenly, she sputtered. He was startled but happy. She choked out something hoarse but he couldn't hear it over the groaning of the metal around him and the crashing of the thunder from outside. They weren't out of the storm yet.

"It's okay, it'll be okay," he repeated, over and over again as the boat was knocked into another spiral.


	36. A Novel Friendship

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 35 – A Novel Friendship<br>**

** IT WAS ALMOST DARK BY THE TIME X WAS NEARING CENTRAL PARK**.

That wasn't because it was becoming late, though. In fact, there was still a couple hours of the late spring sunshine left. It was growing dark early because of dark clouds that began to creep across the sky, and X immediately knew there was inclement weather. It pushed him to drive a little faster through the abandoned city streets, pushing whatever cars and debris he came across out of his way with his bulldozer-like van.

X tried to clear his mind and focus on the task at hand. As far as he knew, the Torturer had direct surveillance of the inside of the zoo and had it for some time. That means that he could have been waiting for him to leave so that he could ransack the zoo for any supplies he might need. Wait, supplies? There was a whole city of abandoned stores out there; he had no use for supplies. He was a predator, and he wanted prey.

Suddenly X was glad he had given Andrew the handgun. It wouldn't do much good against the entire group, but at least it gave the businessman a fighting chance. That was, of course, only if Andrew could pull the trigger and shoot another person. From everything X saw so far he was one who generally seemed to avoid conflict. X knew, however, that people tend to do crazy things they normally wouldn't do in a life or death situation.

X still couldn't shake the vision of the penguin and the dolphin at the power plant from his mind. They were both at the facility he blew up. Why would they be working on a power plant? Were they trying to blow it up because they were still trying to finish the job they had been trained for? That seemed like an awfully animal-like thing to do, but at this point X didn't even know what they were thinking.

Suddenly he was jarred by his thoughts by a bump in the road. It made him swerve slightly and he narrowly missed the back end of a fire truck that was sticking out of a ruined storefront. Knowing he had to focus, he tried to put all of his attention on the road. Unfortunately he found that to be a pretty difficult thing to do when his phone rang, startling him. He still wasn't used to it.

"'Sup," he greeted, keeping one hand firmly on the wheel and the other holding the tiny phone up to his ear.

Surprisingly, there was some static. "Jeffery?" X asked. It wasn't like the service's phones to cut out so easily.

"...X... can... me... X..." was all that came through the static. "Storm... due... fall... fifteen... shelter... most powerful... Hurricane... X..."  
>X gritted his teeth as the line went completely dead. He had interpenetrated the point of the call, though. Those dark clouds that were now spiraling over his head were just the beginning of a massive Hurricane. From what X could see there was no wind or rain yet, but he was sure he didn't have much time until it began. All the more reason to get back to the zoo as fast as possible.<p>

Thankfully, it was only a few more blocks away. X rounded a corner and he could see the outskirts of Central Park, where the leaves on the trees were just beginning to sway. By the time he pulled through the smashed front gate of the fortress-like enclosure, the trees were bending beneath the pressure of the leaves.

X hopped out of the van quickly, making sure his gun was at the ready. Even with the wind howling in his ears, making it impossible to hear much, he needed to stay alert. There were no immediate signs of the Torturer or any of his baddies, but X wanted to be sure.

Hastily he pressed forward, glancing around at the exhibits. It seemed like all of the animals had either been herded inside shelter already or knew how to get there themselves. It was definitely a good idea, the wind was now whipping so fast that X was having trouble maintaining his balance. He saw the tables in front of the souvenir shop topple over and knew that he only had a few precious minutes before the full force of the hurricane overtook the city. He needed to find Andrew and he needed to find him fast.

He headed for the tool shed, as that was the only place in the entire zoo that he had seen the businessman go regularly. When he got there the wind had already forced the wooden door open and he stepped inside, hearing the structure groan under the force of the wind outside. The food supplies, the zoo golf carts, and the tools were there but there wasn't a man. X cautiously checked behind a hay bale, peeking first with his gun to make sure the Torturer hadn't found shelter in the tool shed as well.

He froze as he felt something touch his shoulder.

Not hesitating for more than a second he whipped around and used the butt of his sub-machine gun to knock whatever it was had touched him out of the way. Then he peered down its barrel, ready to shoot what he presumed was the Torturer before he had a chance to disarm him. What he saw on the business end of his weapon wasn't the Torturer, however. It was a very frightened looking Andrew Green.

X lowered his rifle and Andrew took a sigh of relief. "You have to stop doing that," he said loud enough to be heard over the roar of the oncoming storm. "It's not good for my health."  
>X watched the stout man walk over and pick up his handgun from where X had swatted it to.<p>

"You had your gun out, too?" he asked.

"I saw some shadows I didn't like. Then when I saw you come in here I called out to you, but you didn't hear me. So I followed you," Andrew explained. "Why did you have yours out?"  
>X opened his mouth, but a foreboding groan of the structure around them made him instead beckon them back outside. The gale force of the wind made it hard for X to even keep his eyes open, but he still made sure to keep his gun at the ready. Andrew followed him, pressing hard against the wind and the rain that it was beginning to carry with it.<p>

X glanced around the zoo as he saw a tree just over the wall of the zoo topple entirely from the force of the wind. They needed shelter, but where would be safe enough? The souvenir shack? No, he realized. It had too many windows and many of them were already broken and letting in the full force of the wind. He continued scanning and his eyes found the office structure. It looked to be made of solid brick and only had a few windows; perhaps there would be a safe room near the center of it.

Rather than try to shout over the rain and the thunder, X signaled his plan to Andrew by waving his arm over his head. They pressed forward, directly in the face of the wind. It wasn't too far from where they were but X knew all it was going to take was a loose tree branch to the head and they'd be done for. With the debris beginning to swirl around them at an alarming rate, he knew they didn't have any time to loose.

That was until, however, he saw the penguins.

They were struggling against the force of the wind, and it was a miracle it didn't just sweep them away completely. The flat-headed leader had his flippers in front of his face and was trudging along strongly, but X could tell it was an agonizingly slow process. His penguin buddy followed him closely, blinking into the wind as it sent wave after wave of torrential rain towards them.

Why were they even out in all this? Surely they must be smart enough to know it's certain death to be caught outside in a hurricane?  
>X saw Andrew take off from beside him and charge towards the penguins, who didn't notice him. He scooped up the larger one of them in his arms, unable to carry the second and manage his gun at the same time. Then he turned back to X and gestured with his head towards the other penguin who was holding a piece of plastic in front of his face to shield it from the rain.<p>

X wasn't entirely sure why, but he found himself pushing forward to help that little penguin. The flat-headed leader that seemed to hate him more than the tall avian he once tried to kill. He lowered his rifle as to not alarm the tall bird, even though it still took a terrified swing at his face when he picked it up. He squeezed it between his arm and his side to prevent it from struggling any more and then signaled to Andrew that they needed to keep moving.

With his sub-machine gun held with one hand and the struggling penguin restrained with the other, he bashed through the door to the office. The front desk had already suffered heavy damage from the storm, as the front window had been long since blown out. Papers were drenched and strewn everywhere and debris clung to every surface.

Andrew followed him in with the other bird who didn't seem to be struggling at all, compared to the one he was holding. Then X went to close the door, but not before he caught the glimpse of another bird.

It looked an awful lot like a penguin, but there was one distinct difference. It was flying. More or less trying to, as the wind was forcing it back. Eventually it tumbled out of the sky and rolled a few feet on the ground. It laid there, unmoving. The last thing X saw before Andrew slammed the door shut against the gale was another penguin-like entity come and scoop the wounded bird up.

"Are you insane?" Andrew shouted over the sound of the wind howling through the destroyed window. "We've got to get to a room with no windows."

X nodded. He noticed that Andrew was no longer holding his penguin and went to let the one he was holding go. As soon as he moved and the penguin freed its flippers, however, it was on top of him. He felt it slam him over the back of his head with its flippers, but it didn't even make X flinch. He tried to throw the bird off of his back but by the time he reached over his head it was already back on the ground.

At that point the penguin Andrew was carrying had somehow flung itself on him and grabbed his arms, dragging them down behind his back. He felt the sub-machine gun leave his hand and it clattered on the ground. The leader penguin scooped it off the ground and in a flash both penguins were gone down the hallway of the office.

Damn. They were fast.

X moved to chase them but Andrew held a hand to his chest to stop him. "Let it go," he instructed. "They just don't understand that they're safe now. We still need to get to the break room. It's the only room that doesn't have an external wall."

"Right," mumbled X, then had a sudden need to crack his knuckles. Those penguins had just made him angry, that was for sure.

Mr. Green led him down the hallway, entering a room that X knew he hadn't seen the penguins enter. On the inside were a few snack machines that were dark with the lack of power and a large, round table with some chairs. It was very dark and Andrew flipped open his phone for a bit of light. X did the same after he closed the door behind him, thankful that it hadn't gotten too wet to work.

"I hate storms," commented Andrew, raising his arms and watching the water drip from his drenched suit sleeves. "This suit cost me seven thousand dollars, can you believe that? They said it's supposed to be water resilient."

The smile that Andrew finished his note on rubbed X the wrong way. He didn't respond and instead pulled one of the small chairs into a corner and sat down, removing his soaked shoes and putting his socks on the table.

He saved that ungrateful bird's life from the storm, and it didn't even seem like it cared. It struggled and fought, even disarming him with its little buddy when X wasn't even intending to shoot it. X knew they had been working together, but he hadn't expected the other two to attack him like that.

"So," began Andrew. "Why were you carrying your gun, anyway?"

X shifted in his seat slightly, feeling uncomfortable in his soaked, dirty police uniform. Plainly, he responded, "Thought the Torturer might be around."

"The Torturer, here?" questioned Andrew. "Why would he be here?"

"He stole the CIES monitor from me. If he's after me or you, he knows where we are."

Andrew glanced down to the handgun that, for some reason, hadn't been stolen from him by the penguins. "Wonderful," he said with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Don't be acting like this is all my fault. I came back to make sure you were safe," responded X.

Andrew frowned, the water dripping off of his face reflecting light from his cellphone back at X. "I didn't blame you at all."

"Good. If your damn penguins didn't steal my gun, maybe we'd actually be safe."

"We're safe," assured Andrew on a smile, showing of the handgun as if to tell X that he was an expert with it, "machine guns or not."

X crossed his arms. With the storm raging outside, the knowledge that he just got disarmed within seconds by a pair of penguins, and the fact that the Torturer might be just outside the zoo walls waiting for the eye of the hurricane to break in after them and now he didn't even have his gun, he felt the sudden urge to say something that he knew would be like a knife to the gut for Andrew.

"Maybe you should tell that to your fiance."

X had expected Andrew to crumple to the ground in a defeated heap or something as soon as he had uttered those words. Actually, he was disappointed that the man didn't even react. He just stood there, the light from his cellphone reflecting off of his glasses. After a moment he looked at the picture of him and his wife-to-be on the phone again, like he needed some time to absorb X's statement first.

Without looking up, he said, "That's why you're such a loner, isn't it?"

"Huh?" X asked, confused.

"You know that anyone close to you isn't safe. That, and asinine statements like that force them all to avoid you like the plague."

X gritted his teeth. That statement was like hitting the bulls eye in a game of darts. Surprisingly he didn't find himself with a sudden urge to defend himself. Instead he partly agreed by offering,

"Things are different when you've killed men with your own hands."

"Maybe so. That doesn't mean that you have to avoid all human contact, though." Andrew looked back up from his phone and towards one of the snack machines. "You hungry?" he asked.

X merely nodded, and then watched as Andrew proceeded to smash the glass front of the machine with the handle of the gun. He knew the businessman had a point. Ever since his days in the service, he had been alone. Besides business partners and a very rare call from Jeffery, his days had been filled with nothing but his weapons, his surveillance equipment, and his underground tunnel system.

At that moment X realized that Andrew must have been that way before he met Alice. So enveloped by his corporate empire that he wanted nothing to do with any other human being that didn't have to do with pure business. Was the businessman trying to teach him a valuable life lesson? Show him that maybe life is just a little bit better if you have family and friends to share it with? To inform him that he continues to go out of his way to always be alone?

X wasn't flattered. For all he cared, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. And besides, he had at least formed an alliance with one of the last trustworthy people left on the planet.

Trustworthy. Was that a word really worthy of the man that only a week ago X wanted nothing to do with simply because of the fact that he ran a corporation and wore a suit everywhere he went?

"Potato chips or pretzels?" asked Andrew.

"Pretzels."  
>Andrew tossed the bag across the table and X grabbed it out of midair, despite how dark it was. He opened the bag and munched on the salty snack for a while, listening to the sound of the storm outside. It was clear to him that they would be safe in that room; the building was more than sturdy enough.<p>

After some time Andrew said, "Hey, Alexander."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for helping me rescue the penguins from the storm. And in general, sticking around."

X found himself smiling. "The world is empty. There ain't anywhere else to go."

"I suppose you are correct," nodded Andrew, then he looked towards the door. "That was only two of the four penguins that we carried in here. I hope the other two are unharmed."

"They'll be alright," X said, thinking about the tall penguin at the power plant. "They're a lot tougher than you think."

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note:<strong> Uh oh, two weeks without an update? My apologies! Lately I just haven't felt all that much like writing.

Nonetheless, quick shoutouts to **Zyar**, **Asmith137**, **TheSkySpiritsTalentShow**, **GoTeamSkipper**, **Hipturtle15**, **Penguin-pirate-lover**, **elite commando985**, and **Pip4** for being regular reviewers! Thanks to you guys This story has reached 200 reviews and has become my most reviewed story!

More on topic, I really don't like how this chapter turned out. Then again, for some reason I'm just not liking this whole story a lot right now. Any comments?


	37. An Unlikely Spy

**The Power of Silence**  
><strong>Chapter 36 – An Unlikely Spy<strong>

**PRIVATE PUSHED INTO THE LEMURS' CAVE, WATER DRIPPING FROM HIS FEATHERS.**

It really wasn't so much of a cave as it was just a little overhang on the backside of Julien's rock. Inside was where the heat vent was hidden for the winter months. It was where the lemurs slept during rainstorms and thankfully, though it was nothing compared to Marlene's fortress, it provided ample shelter from the howling wind outside.

Private took no time to look at the three lemurs who were crowded around the heat vent, drying their soaked fur. Instead he waddled over to the wall that was furthest from the opening and set the bird he had scooped up just moments ago down on the ground. The bird was just a touch smaller than he was and he hadn't had too much trouble carrying it to safety.

"Who's dat?" Julien was the first to ask.

"It's one of the Hoboken zoo animals," responded Private.

The bird stirred slightly in its forced slumber, but didn't wake up. Being a puffin, it didn't look that much unlike a penguin save for its wings and beak. While Private's wings were narrow and slender for cutting through the water, this bird's wings were wide and stable for gliding high in the sky. His beak was ringed with deep purple and fiery read in addition to the normal, orange that was traditional of many birds.

"He looks mangled," observed Maurice.

Private nodded and waddled over to the bird. He lifted up the puffin's left wing and could see a visible break in at least two areas. It was the only serious injury, but even in the puffin's unconscious state Private could tell he was in a lot of pain.

"I saw him trying to fly away into the storm," explained Private. "Then he got knocked out of the air pretty good and slammed into the ground, so I ran out and carried him back here."

Maurice got up and walked over to the puffin, inspecting his colorful beak. "Why was he here?"

Private shrugged. "I know Skippah and Rico were chasing him, so that probably means he was spying or something."

The wide looked frightened. "He was working with Clemson!" he exclaimed. "Get him out of here before he wakes up!" He moved towards the puffin but he Private stopped him with a flipper.

"And take him where, exactly? Back out into the storm?"

The wide lemur blinked at Private. "Well, no..."

Julien jumped up and grabbed the puffin's unbroken wing in his paws, tugging and dragging it towards the opening. Private slapped Julien's arms away and rolled the puffin gently over from how Julien had flipped him over. "Are you bloody crazy?" he asked, water dripping from his beak.

"No," Julien replied, rubbing his arm, "but dat bird is being so!"

Private looked down at the puffin. He looked entirely harmless, especially unconscious and with its twisted wing. He was barely as tall as Maurice and didn't look strong enough to even throw a punch. There was nothing stereotypically insane about him. No nervous twitch in his sleep, no mumbling inaudible words. Private knew Julien was fearful in the same way Skipper must have been to chase the bird out into the storm. With the return of the Hoboken animals expected in the morning, they couldn't afford having a spy in their midst.

Private couldn't help but think back to the morning when he had been greeted by the entire group, though. This puffin had argued against preserving Skipper's life. He was disappointed that Buck wanted to draft Skipper instead of torture him. And that, thought Private, was something that he could use.

"He's not crazy," countered the small bird, knowing he had to convince the lemurs that the puffin wasn't completely untrustworthy.

"Then why was he out and about spying on us, before his team was even due to arrive? You know he couldn't have traveled here after the storm started, so he must have been here for hours before Skipper found him," questioned Maurice.

"It is being obvious! He is working with de crazy lemur Clemson," Julien exclaimed, and Private could see the fear in his jumpy actions. In order to get him to stop, Private slammed a wet flipper across the lemur's snout.

"Will you calm down?" he asked, nearly shouting it out.

Julien looked at him wide eyed. Maurice raised a brow, but didn't say anything.

"He's not working with Clemson," Private insisted. "He's out for Skipper. You heard everything they said, Julien. He didn't have any interest in helping Clemson, remember?"  
>The chubby bird knew he was lying through his beak, but it was all he could hope for. He was desperate for allies in his predicament, and though he had Julien, that wasn't going to be enough. If it involved recruiting the puffin, so be it. Though his wing was broken and he was unconscious he possessed what Julien did not, and that was animosity towards Skipper.<p>

_Anything to get me closer to Kowalski_, thought Private.

"What do you think, Julien?" Maurice asked the kingly lemur, who had remained silent.

He rubbed his snout gently before answering, "Maybe de fishy-penguin is having a point."

Private nodded. "Thank you."

"I'm still not so sure about all of this," interjected Maurice. "Maybe we should tie him up, for good measure?"

"I brought the rope!" exclaimed Mort, who at some point had ventured back out into the rain to bring the remaining length of rope that Private had been bound with only a few hours ago.

Private didn't want the puffin to run as soon as he awoke, so he helped the lemurs bind him, being careful not to disturb his broken wing too much. As he tied the knot, he began to wonder if he was making the right decision.

An ally was great, but at that very moment the puffin was also a prisoner. That meant that, wherever the Hoboken animals were as a result of the storm, they would come looking for their spy. 

* * *

><p>Dmitri cracked his eyes open as he felt something nudging his face. It was pure black wherever he was, and he tried to gently swat whatever it was away with his flipper. It continued pressing harder and harder into his cheek and eventually he jumped back from it, frightened.<p>

"Good you're awake," said Irena. "I was afraid you hit your head a little too hard. C'mon, get up. I don't hear the rain anymore."

Dmitri rubbed the spot on his head where a knot existed. Then he recalled everything from the storm to the boat capsizing to huddling in the tiny little crawl space accessible only through the trapdoor on the bottom of the raft. The last thing he remembered was holding Irena and banging his head on something hard and cold.

"Where are we?" the female asked, and Dmitri explained as he felt around himself for the trapdoor. His flippers went over smooth walls and eventually found the latch beneath him. It was pitch black and he could barely tell which way to turn it but eventually he heard a click. He then put all of his weight into trying to force the door open, but nothing came of it.

"It's jammed, or something," he said.

"Hold on," responded Irena. "I think I've found something above us."

Surely enough, there was a similar sounding click and before Dmitri could even comprehend the possibility of two doors, there was a blinding light. Irena had found a second hatch and pushed it open, bringing a wave of much needed fresh air into their little cubbyhole.

Irena pulled herself out of the raft and said, "So this is where you took us."

"Where, exactly?" Dmitri asked as he accepted the female's flipper and hoisted himself up onto what he now saw was the underside of the upturned boat.

"Looks like a big human city," commented Irena.

Dmitri didn't respond. He had always thought that the Penguin City was something of breathtaking beauty, but what now laid before him nullified that preconception completely. From the beach they had washed up on he could see that the humans had built themselves a city far more grand than any of the emperors or even penguins from Manfredi's tribe had hoped to construct. Skyscrapers hundreds of stories high as far as the eye could see.

Irena glanced down to the small space that had been their sanctuary through the rest of the storm. "The last thing I remember before I blacked out is the captain's cabin being flooded. How in the world did you get us both in there?"

Dmitri hoisted his backpack out of the tiny space, feeling the soreness in his joints from being cramped up and knocked around for so long. "I don't know," he responded. "Maybe it was survival instinct."

"Survival instinct only applies to yourself," countered Irena.

Dmitri smiled. "Hey, maybe I just really wanted to make things even."

Surprisingly, the female emperor chuckled. Dmitri found himself following her lead. It was nothing like he pictured emerging from a near-death situation. He always thought he'd be questioning what went wrong. Maybe there would be time for that later, he thought.

"Peng-goo-ins?" came a nasally voice from behind them.

Dmitri spun around and saw a peculiar sight. He was what looked like a fish, but far bigger than one he had ever seen before. He was standing via its tail-fin on what looked like a little tractor complete with treads and a handle for him to hold onto. Attached to the front of the tractor was a little basket with some scraps of metal in it.

"Fish?" asked Irena.

The creature narrowed his eyes a bit and responded, "Dolphin."

"How're you out of water?" asked Dmitri.

"Why were you in a washed up human craft?" the dolphin returned, gesturing to the ruined boat.

"We capsized during the storm," answered Irena. "We were hiding out inside to survive the storm."

"Ah yes," said the dolphin, although dully. "The Poseidon class research vessels always have a small holding tank on the bottom for containing specimens. I'm sure it was watertight enough even for you to survive in that hurricane."

"How do you know about human boats?" Dmitri asked.

"Let's just say I spent a lot of time growing up with them," the dolphin answered.

"Flippy!" a deep voice cut through the air, causing the dolphin in front of them to visibly cringe.

"It's Emilio Blowhole," he muttered.

Dmitri turned to see a penguin walking down the sand towards them, followed by a strange, auburn-furred mammal. "When I ordered you to search for Ham-Sandwich I didn't mean scavenge for parts!" the penguin barked.

Blowhole seemed to compose himself a bit and then explained, "This ship has some rare radar equipment that would be invaluable to our operation." At the penguin's unsettling look he added, "Sir."

"Yeah, yeah, alright. You can trick out your scooter later, cupcake. For now we have a missing soldier and I want him found. Is that clear?"  
>The dolphin saluted, "Yes sir." and then began wheeling off.<p>

"Now, who are you?" the large penguin turned to Dmitri and Irena, who were still standing on top of the boat. Dmitri shuddered a bit as the penguin's steely blue eyes fell on him. His piercing gaze mixed with the fact that he looked like he could crush rocks with his bare flippers was horribly intimidating.

After they had introduced themselves the penguin took a turn and introduced himself as Buck Rockgut. He also introduced the lemur next to him as "Clementine", but the mammal, who called himself a lemur, clarified himself to actually be named Clemson.

After the introductions were out of the way, Rockgut began his offer. "Alright, fresh meat, i'm going to offer you this once and only once. You're lost, cold, tired and hungry. The world's empty and you're going to need some protection and fish in your bellies. I've got a small band of soldiers and, lucky for you cupcakes, I'm recruiting. Are you in?"

Dmitri glanced towards Irena and saw a disheveled look on her face. He reassured her with a gentle flipper squeeze; the same one that she had given him outside the Temple of the Sun. She nodded slowly, showing her approval in teaming up. After all, they were in a brand new land and they had no idea where to begin threshing out a living. Meeting a penguin right off the bat, especially one that could help them find their place in the foreign land, was a welcome turn of events.

"Are you?" pestered the militaristic penguin.

"We're in," responded Dmitri.

"We're in, who?"

"Err... We're in, sir?" the penguin with unruly feathers answered.

"That's better. Now come down off that thing. You're making me feel insignificant over here."

Dmitri gently slid down the side of the craft and landed gracefully on the sand, then worked to stop the much less agile Irena from falling face forward as she landed. Dmitri was running the grains of sand between his webbed toes as Buck told them, "You keep following orders like that and you'll do fine."

"Yes... err, sir," Dmitri said uneasily.

"Clementine, brief them while we head to the rendezvous point," instructed their new leader, running a feather over his the stubby feathers on the top of his head.

The lemur turned and walked backwards as he began. His eyes were a sky-like blue; even worse than Buck's in terms of intimidation. They looked like they could see everything at any point in time.

"We're going to be infiltrating a zoo in Central Park in a few hours. It's not likely that there will be much resistance, but we're after a penguin and a lemur, like me."

Dmitri moved to signal to Clemson that he was about to trip over the curb at the edge of the sandy beach, but without even looking the lemur flipped up onto the concrete and continued walking backwards like nothing ever happened.

"Wait," Dmitri said, "I thought you said you were only about protection and food gathering?"

"That's a part of it," responded the lemur, "but we've still got important things to do. Life isn't as easy as just eating and sleeping."

"We protect each other first and foremost," said Buck, "and sometimes that means helping each other get our flippers a little dirty."

"Or paws," added Clemson. "Say, have either of you had any proper combat training?"

They both shook their heads.

"Ever been in a combat situation?"

Another shake.

"What about any situation at all that resulted in you having to take drastic action? Like snapping someone's neck, or something?"

Dmitri shook his head, but Irena nodded. "We've come a long way from Antarctica," she said. "While we were there our village was terrified by humans that captured us and sold us. Because of that I—well, we—took drastic action and killed all of them."

Clemson and buck both stopped in their tracks, despite them looking in opposite directions. Buck turned around, his brow arched. "What are you talking about, cupcake?"  
>Irena took a moment and told Buck about the Temple of the Sun and how it had exterminated all of the people from the face of the Earth in that one massive burst of energy. All the while both Buck and Clemson held straight looks on their faces, not reacting in any way to what Irena was saying.<p>

When Irena finished Buck finally said, "Well I'll be damned. I didn't think there was anyone except Skipper and myself that still knew about that thing."

"Skipper?" Dmitri perked up. "I heard of a penguin named Skipper."

"Oh yeah?"

"The penguin who lead us to the Temple of the Sun told us that he once was involved with an evil penguin who wanted to use the Sun to drive the world to madness," Irena offered.

"That penguin, what was his name?" asked Buck.

"Edgar," answered Irena.

The large rock-hopper smiled. "Smart-Ass survived? Damn he's tough."

"You were involved with the Penguin Army," Dmitri realized, speaking to Buck directly.

"Yeah, I was a Corporal."

"And you knew Skipper?"

"He wasn't in my squad, but he caused a lot of trouble," Buck answered.

"That's why we're trying to capture him now," explained Clemson.

Buck turned to the lemur, his flippers crossed. "Doesn't Ham-Sandwich have something against him, too?"

"Yeah."

As the lemur and the penguin went on for a little while about what their other teammate wanted from Skipper, Dmitri could only think about who Buck was. Was it really possible that the penguin standing across from him now was possibly the only other penguin on the face of the planet that was involved with his father? And that, if he followed the bird, he might be leading him to the penguin named Skipper within a few hours?

"Did you know a penguin named Manfredi?" Dmitri asked right after Buck and Clemson finished their discussion.

The rock-hopper arched his brow again, recrossing his arms like he was studying Dmitri. Dmitri couldn't help but see the same look that Edgar had given him in the entrance of the temple when he had pushed for answers. It was the kind of look that meant the observer was studying you, sizing you up, trying to place you in his or her memories. Dmitri hated it.

"Did you or didn't you?" he pushed.

"I don't think you're in a position to be asking your superior questions, recruit," Buck responded, causing Dmitri to clench his flippers a bit.

Irena tapped him on the shoulder and he relaxed a bit. They both knew that he couldn't afford to snap here like he did on Edgar in the temple. This penguin might be their only hope of surviving in this new land, not to mention linking him to his past.

"Sorry... sir," he said halfheartedly, though Buck seemed to accept it.

They walked in silence for a few moments after that, though Clemson was continuing to walk backwards and wouldn't stop looking at them. Even so, he didn't even stumble as he avoided an increasing number of obstacles as they progressed further into the abandoned city.

"Who's Manfredi?" he finally asked.

Dmitri almost blurted out the truthful answer. He was glad he stopped himself, though. If they were going to play stupid and pretend like they didn't know what he wanted to know, he could to.

"Someone that Edgar mentioned," he responded.

Clemson finally turned around.


	38. A Heated Discussion

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 37 – A Heated Discussion<strong>

**THE PUFFIN DIDN'T WAKE UP**.

Even though they had made sure the rope was as tight as they could possibly bind it, Private and the three lemurs still had made sure to keep someone on watch throughout the night. Surprisingly enough the most exciting thing the puffin did was stir slightly in his sleep, grunting in pain with his face scrunched up like he was preparing for the worst fight of his life. Then he fell into a peaceful slumber again, though Private was beginning to doubt it was still forced.

For a while Private had considered finding more rope to restrain the puffin's feet or maybe something sturdy to tie him to as he was just kind of laying on the ground of the little cave. Then he remembered the whole reason he had wanted to drag the puffin into the cave in the first place. Part of it was to save the puffin from the storm, but the other part was darker. The puffin wanted Skipper dead.

And for that reason, Private wanted the puffin as an ally.

He still couldn't imagine fighting Skipper if the need arose. The slightest sight of the flat-headed penguin still made him clench his beak and take a few breaths to avoid punching the nearest wall, but Skipper had always been family to him. Family was something he was always told to protect, hold close, and never let go no matter what. Even though the quartet was no longer the family it once was, semblances of that request still clouded his judgment.

_The humans need my help_, he thought_, and if I can't let it go, things are going to be a lot more painful than they need to be._

Now Private was sitting in the entrance of the cave, watching the remaining water drip from its edges; run-off from Julien's throne. The sun was just breaking the edge of the zoo walls, bringing with it warmth and healing after the destruction of the previous night's hurricane. Private always did welcome the morning sunrise, but he found himself wishing that that particular sunrise would have come a little later.

After all, it was the day that Buck Rockgut assured Skipper he'd be back.

"What's de plan?" Julien asked, causing Private to turn. He found the lemur crouched down near the heat vent, just a few feet from the sleeping Mort and Maurice.

"The Hoboken animals could be here anytime today," Private responded, "or they might not even show up because of the storm. Regardless, we need to be prepared to defend Kowalski."

Julien nodded. "Will we be needing to be fighting dem off?"

"Maybe," answered the penguin. "Just you and I can't hold of all of those animals, though. We're going to have to hide out near the entrance and watch the whole exchange. I know Skippah's not gonna go without a fight, so if it breaks out we'll jump in and try to get Kowalski away from it then."

"What if de Skipper is captured?" Julien asked, causing Private to look towards the ground, a grim look possessing his face.

"So be it."

The penguin and the lemur moved out, first rousing Maurice to inform him of their plan and so that he could keep an eye on the puffin. They weren't concerned about him starting a lot of trouble with his wing broken as badly as was. Still, Maurice grabbed a nearby rock and said he wasn't going to hesitate to use it if the puffin attempted to attack one of them.

Private's first instinct was to look for a tree they could hide out in, but after storm ravaged the zoo, they found none suitable. Instead they opted to use the bell on top of the gate itself for cover. They knew it wouldn't be active without the electricity it needed to force the two massive, brass monkeys into motion. The position gave them great visibility and if they only slowly poked their heads over its edges, they'd be practically invisible to anyone on the ground.

Private hoisted himself up onto the top of the arch after using a nearby lamppost to vault his way up the side of it. He stumbled a bit on the edge but Julien, whose agile frame was much more suited for climbing, grabbed his flipper to keep him from falling. Private realized that he was glad to have Julien as an ally through all of it. More than just an ally, even. A friend who wanted the humans back just as much as he did.

Private didn't know when to expect the Hoboken animals. He took a watch immediately and peered over the surface of the ravaged Central Park for signs of movement, but he saw nothing more than the occasional squirrel or pigeon or stray dog. He then glanced up at the sky and the Sun that was just breaking the edges of the skyscrapers, many of which were now missing windows. It could be several hours before the Hoboken animals showed up, he realized.

He turned and saw Julien curled up in the shelter of the zoo's bell, his knees pulled up into his chest ad his tail wrapped around himself. It was the same look Private had seen out of him from time to time around the zoo and, more particularly, on the boat during their trip to Antarctica. It was a rare look from a lemur who was normally so hyperactive and egotistical. Something that really brought out the truth that even kings sometimes need to just sit in solitude and think about things. This particular king, however, had but one thing on his mind.

"You miss her, don't you?" Private asked, having joined Julien underneath the bell. He could only make his assumption because of how the lemur's eyes were focused on the otter habitat.

Julien brought his hazel eyes up to meet Private's. "She is being heartbroken because of me," he told him.

Private only grunted in agreement, not sure of what else to say. Julien brought his head down and rested it on his knees, looking truly downcast. The penguin decided to ask, "What happened that night you ran out?"

Julien shot back up, his eyes large like he was remembering something terrifying. "Marlene went all crazy on me," he confessed.

"I know that," Private responded. "What I'm really asking is: what made her loose it?"

There was a slight pause that was only filled with a bird chirping from a tree. Julien's large eyes shimmered slightly in the light before he closed them and answered, "It is not being important."

"That's not true," insisted Private. "Why did she loose it?"

Julien fiddled his long fingers together mechanically for a bit like he really didn't want to answer. "She was being angry... and I was... and then you were bleeding..." he stuttered, showing that uneasiness. He turned his head away quickly before harshly saying, "It is not being important, okay?"

"Alright," Private returned, deciding not to push the issue of the fight further. He still had a burning need to ask one more question, though. "If you still miss her, then why did you cut off the relationship?"

At that question Julien suddenly looked fearful again. Private felt like he was pushing too far, asking Julien to explain wounds that were far too fresh. It was the same situation with Marlene. And it was the same situation with him after he fled the HQ, blood gushing from his scar and mixing with his tears. "You don't have to answer that," Private apologized.

"It's just..." Julien began, but trailed off as a deep voice cut through the air.

"Where's Flippy!"

Private recognized it instantly and looked into the park where the group of Hoboken animals was making its way towards the zoo gates, visible just barely through the boughs of the mangled trees. The voice belonged to none other than their militaristic leader, and the one that Private was expecting to take Skipper prisoner. Behind him were all of the animals he recognized from their first encounter. The snake, the walrus, Buck's son Gier, and Clemson the lemur-assassin. Catching up to them from behind was that strange dolphin on his machine. Bringing up the back were two new penguins that Private didn't recognize. He couldn't even make out their features from that distance.

He heard a satisfied chuckle come from some of the members of the group when they saw their dolphin friend finally join them. They were getting dangerously close to the zoo. Private cursed himself under his breath for getting so distracted talking to Julien that he didn't formulate more of a plan.

Julien didn't seem the least bit distracted, however, as he was already to the other side of the platform and beckoning Private over with a paw over his head. The two of them edged towards the side and peeked over the top of the concrete to see Skipper standing all alone in front of the fountain. Private scowled at the sight. Why was he all alone? Surely the flat-headed leader would have gotten some help from the zoo animals? Or if nothing else, why weren't Rico or Kowalski there to back him up?

Then, with the sounds of the approaching Hobokeners coming from behind him, Private realized that Skipper might be surrendering. Maurice had said he was off his game, that he wasn't himself and he was making a lot of weird decisions. He said that even though Skipper had actually requested help from some of the animals in the zoo, none of them offered to help him.

Was that just it, then? Was his once valiant leader just going to give up and throw in the towel even though he was the one that tough him to never go down without a fight? Private found his flippers balled into little fists at the sight, and that he was inching closer to the edge of the platform. Even though, made some effort to pull him back it wasn't enough. Skipper's keen eyes picked up on his position and the leader's eyesight met his just long enough for him to give a clear and informative shake of his head.

It didn't seem to sway the leader in any way. Private pulled himself back from the edge so he was concealed from view again. He wasn't sure why he had shaken his head. Wouldn't Skipper being surrendering only benefit his need to get to Kowalski in the coming days? For the first time since he became determined to ensure the tall bird's death to get the humans back, he felt shaken, unsure, and insecure. If nothing else, worried because Skipper now knew their position.

"Look," Julien said to bring back his focus. He pointed to the Hoboken Animals who had entered the front courtyard and formed the same row that they had greeted Private in that week ago.

There were still those two other penguins, though. One was large, even larger than Buck, and Private knew it was from Antarctica. He recognized the similarities in it versus the emperors he had seen when they stopped in the Penguin City on their way to the Temple of the Sun. The other penguin he wasn't immediately sure of. It looked larger than him, but not big enough to be an emperor. The only thing Private could make out from that distance was it's unruly feathers.

"Glad to see you came alone, Little One," began Buck. Private couldn't see his face but he could hear the excitement in the penguin's tone. "Now are you and your lemur friend going to come nicely or do we have to pound some sense into you first?"

Skipper just stood in his trademark stance, his beak twisted into a grim scowl, his flippers crossed across his chest. He closed his eyes and Private again saw that tired look. He felt a tightness in his chest and realized that he was worried for his ex-leader.

Making commitments was easy. Upholding them was harder. Private had vowed to not let his ex-leader come between him and Kowalski, even thinking once that he'd kill Skipper if he got in the way, but now Private realized he wasn't able to uphold that. He was too attached to Skipper, even after what the flat-headed penguin had done to him in the HQ.

Resisting an urge to flip off of the Arch and land right on top of Buck's head, he clenched his beak and hoped for the best. Maybe there wouldn't be any fighting. Maybe Skipper wouldn't just surrender.

"There's a bigger reason you came all the way here looking for me, isn't there Buck?" Skipper questioned, now looking directly at the gigantic rock-hopper. When there was only a grunt in response, Skipper continued. "You don't just want to _recruit_ me. You want the Sun."

The Hoboken animals looked at their leader, though Private didn't even see him flinch. "Everything will become clear to you in shackles," he insisted. "Now get King Julio and let's get going."

"King Julien," came Clemson's voice.

"I don't know what made you think my answer would change in a week," Skipper mocked, "but it's your goal to gain the Sun and you're no better than Sarge himself. I'm staying here in the Central Park Zoo."

Private gave a sigh of relief nearly audible enough for the Hoboken animals to hear. Julien pushed a finger to his beak to shush him, then looked intently back over the courtyard. Private looked down at Gier and saw that surprisingly he wasn't looking at Skipper but rather to the two new penguins, his eyes narrowed.

"This isn't optional, Little One," Buck countered. "You're coming with me to Antarctica. The only option you have is whether or not you'll be traveling with broken legs."

Buck took a step forward and Skipper held out his flippers. "I don't suggest you come any closer," he warned.

"Why?" Buck laughed. "You're all on your own. I've got my entire zoo to back me up, and you've got nothing."

"I've got my team," Skipper told him. "More than that I don't need."

"Beta Squad is long departed," Buck argued. Another step.

"Beta Squad is a codename for use only in the Penguin Army. As far as I'm concerned, that army is also long since departed. Isn't it, Prissy Boy?"

Private saw Buck jump forward at the sound what Private assumed was his nickname in Caspian's army. Judging by the fact that his flippers were quivering, it probably didn't carry good memories with it. "You've got thousands of deaths on your shoulders," Buck told him, "you have no place in insulting that army or what it stood for, cupcake."

"Looks like another one won't make much of a difference then," Skipper said darkly. Before anyone could infer its meaning he shouted, "Rico, now!"

Private caught a glimpse of a flash of black and white near the leftmost side of the courtyard and watched as a trashcan tumbled the ground. A trashcan that shouldn't have been left standing after the previous night's storm. A trashcan that had been set up on purpose to disguise the death-bringing machine behind it.

Private didn't immediately recognize the formed metal, the wooden base, or the penguin standing behind it all. It took only a second to place it in his mind, and when he did, he jumped up immediately and shouted, "No!"

Kowalski pulled the trigger on the machine gun before anyone could react and sent a stream of death directed directly at Buck. The large rock-hopper was caught completely off guard and his body was rocked in place as the bullets continued to pound into him for what seemed like hours. The other animals had already dropped to the ground for cover. Private was charging down the wall towards the gun-wielding bird, waving his flippers and urging for Kowalski to let off the trigger.

Before he was even halfway there, Kowalski had emptied the magazine. Private didn't even know how may bullets he had spewed, but refused to look at Buck, who he assumed was nothing more than a bloody corpse at that point. The air was filled with nothing more than a slight clinking as Rico pushed a new magazine into the sub-machine gun.

Private had already gotten there, though, and with a flying kick he knocked the weapon over. Kowalski and Rico made no effort to pick it back up but he still looked at them and shouted, "Are you mad?"

He turned back around realizing how hard he was shaking all of the sudden. His heart hadn't beaten that fast in a long time. It didn't beat that fast the night he was kicked off Skipper's team. It didn't beat that fast any nights he woke up from one of his nightmares. It hadn't beaten that fast since he was ready to take on Sarge with Manfredi, standing in the Antechamber.

He suddenly felt sick to his stomach with confusion. In the Antechamber it had been so clear who was an enemy and who was an ally. Now he didn't even know who he was fighting for anymore.

"I suggest you tell your father's friends to leave here quickly," Skipper said, talking directly to Gier. "I've got plenty more where that came from."

Private swiveled back and forth between Kowalski and Skipper before finally working up the courage to look towards Buck. He was laying on the concrete, Clemson and Gier working to hoist him up onto the back of the dolphin's scooter.

Buck wasn't the bloody mess that Private had expected, though. He was fully intact, with nothing more than what appeared to be ruffled feathers. No blood or anything.

Private looked over the Hoboken animals as they swiftly made their exit, intimidated by the machine gun. He caught a glimpse of the emperor and the other strange penguin, and made a sudden connection. Her eyes were deep gray. The same ones from his dream that night he had found out about Manfredi's son.

Did that mean that was who the other penguin was? The one with the strange feathers? Private didn't even know what to think.

"Good riddance," Skipper commented after the Hoboken animals were long off back into Central Park. He then swiftly walked up to Kowalski before grabbing him by the beak and sending a flipper across his face. Private cringed at the sight of it, feeling his own face throb slightly.

"Do you want to tell me how he survived a full clip of bullets at point blank range or do I need to experiment myself?" Skipper interrogated, releasing Kowalski.

"I apologize for taking matters into my own hands," Kowalski began, "but this was a delicate situation and our course of action required careful planning. Killing off the Hoboken leader would only result in hostile response from the rest of the animals, Skipper."

"Perhaps, but without Buck they'd be completely lost."

"Dat is not true," said Julien, who had came from atop the gate. "Clemson is being capable of leading if dat fishy-penguin couldn't."

"Right," agreed Kowalski. "So by modifying the gun to fire bits of rubber instead of bullets, and decreasing the muzzle velocity by ninety-percent, I have changed a weapon of instigation into a weapon of intimidation."

Skipper put a flipper to his temple. "So we're scaring them from coming back," he concluded.

"Precisely."

"They'll be back, for sure, then. Rockgut is one of Fishslader's soldiers, and that means he'll keep fighting until he's dead, no matter how bad we scare them."

"Aye, Sir," Kowalski responded.

Skipper then turned to Julien and Private. "What are you two doing here, anyway? You almost blew this entire operation. You should have stayed in hiding like I told the rest of the animals."

Private glanced towards Julien, realizing that he had been lied to. Skipper hadn't requested for the zoo animals help and not received it, he had requested for them to stay out of the whole ordeal. Julien had an uneasy look on his face as he waved slightly and then took off for the lemur enclosure.

Private nodded to his leader, then for some reason saluted. Maybe it was just habit, but even if it was he held the gesture for a little while, wondering if he'd receive one in return.

Surprisingly, Skipper did just that.


	39. A Plan in Action

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 38 – A Plan in Action<strong>

**X RAMMED THE DOOR AS HARD AS HE COULD.**

Even though he put all of his weight into it, he bounced back off of the wood and fell backwards onto the linoleum behind him, wincing as a dull throbbing in his shoulder made itself known.

"You're not going to be able to get out that way," Andrew commented. He was sitting in a chair not far from the door, lounging back as he watched X try to get them out of their prison.

The prison itself was something that had been constructed around them rather than them being put in it, as the door wasn't locked when they entered to find shelter from the storm. Even X, who was never prone to exhaustion or tiredness had found himself drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the night. As a result the penguins that they had rescued only that night before had locked them inside the break room.

"Why did that crazy woman even put a lock that strong on the outside of a break room!" X complained, picking himself off the floor and dusting off his ruined police uniform. "I ain't seen a lock this strong before, even on banks."

Andrew shrugged. "The penguins liked to come in here at night and raid the snack machines. Alice said they were always particularly fond of the peanut butter winkies."

X scowled, then prepared to ram the door again. This time he backed all the way up to the wall opposite the door and pushed himself forward, throwing his entire momentum into the door. This time, though he was still thrown back to the floor, a distinct sound of cracking wood was heard. The burly man picked himself up and inspected the large cracks that had formed where the door's hinges connected with its frame.

X took a moment to roll his shoulder, making sure he didn't dislocate it. Then he kicked the weakened door down and it fell into the hallway, bringing both welcomed light and fresh air into the room. X turned to his comrade and smiled, bringing out a satisfied nod from the stout man.

"If that warranty was still any good I'd get my money back," he commented as he ran his hand up the cracked door frame. X turned and immediately made his way out of the structure. He didn't want to waste any time; he knew the penguins had his machine gun and he wanted it back.

As he emerged into the crisp, morning air, the power of the hurricane that had barreled through the night before became apparent. Trees were toppled all over the park, some of them having dropped heavy branches within the confines of the zoo. Windows were smashed everywhere, trash was piled anywhere the wind deposited it, benches were upturned, and a large portion of the Zoovineer's roof was missing. X was sure that New York City would have been declared a national disaster zone in the event that anyone actually still lived in it.

The large man wasted no more time looking over the zoo and headed straight up to the penguins' ring, looking for the violent little birds. They were nowhere to be seen, however, and X thought back to when Alice told him about the secret tunnel they used. Was that where they were escaping to whenever they disappeared? If he had that monitor, maybe he'd be able to check.

Another quick scan of the zoo and he found his machine gun. He lifted it off the concrete, curious as to why it had been attached to a wooden platform. Had the penguins done that to make it easier for them to fire? He knew his weapon well; he inspected the magazine, barrel, and firing pin to find out that it had been tampered with.

"I was wondering if what we heard this morning was gunshots or just distant thunder," Andrew stated, startling X. He didn't realize the stout man had followed him out of the offices.

X didn't respond immediately. He slipped one of the rounds out of the magazine and noted how the lead slug had been replaced with a hard rubber ball and how the gunpowder in its chamber hand been reduced to almost nothing. It was the kind of work he had seen only once before, on a mission where the survival of everyone involved was imperative. He always preferred the sandbag shotgun more on those kinds of missions, though.

He set the machine gun back on the ground, standing it up at the approximate angle he found it. It was directed towards the entrance of the zoo. He didn't doubt the fact that the tall penguin from the facility was able to modify the bullets to be non-lethal, but he certainly didn't understand why they had been firing it here.

When he finally told these things to Andrew, he said, "They must be trying to keep something out of the zoo."

"What could the penguins be trying to fight off, though? Some stray mutts?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if the penguins they fought off in Antarctica had friends," Andrew responded.

X looked back to the gate of the zoo. Even though encountering the tall penguin at the power plant showed him they were smarter than he looked, he was still skeptical on the whole Antarctica incident Andrew had described. "Even if they did have friends, they ain't gonna be able to come all the way over here and hunt them down."

"The four penguins that are in this zoo went all the way to Antarctica over that artifact. I don't think finding a way to Central Park would be a problem for any animal," Andrew told him.

X couldn't help but grit his teeth a little. He had seen that dolphin on a segue; did that mean that all animals knew how to operate human transportation? That perhaps they had found ways to operate buses and travel to New York in troves? X was really beginning to think that maybe a lot more was going on with the penguins that he was instructed to protect.

Andrew blinked a few times at X before pushing his glasses up his nose. He placed his hands on his hips and looked around the zoo a bit before saying, "This place is a mess."

"It was a hurricane," X responded.

"There's a lot of damage that needs to be fixed," Andrew continued. "There's no way I'm leaving this place as insecure at is with the fact that the Torturer might still be around."

Despite the hurricane and the fact that the penguins had stolen his gun, X hadn't forgotten about the white-eyed man that had stolen his penguin monitor. The only thing he could think about now was how exactly he was going to fend off the convict miners in the event that he needed to defend himself. Surely the penguins hadn't modified all of his ammo.

"Do you have any tools that we could use to fix up the place?" Andrew asked him.. The man was rubbing his chin and glancing over each damaged area of the both the zoo wall and the enclosures, probably wondering how they could be patched up.

X nodded towards his van, parked a short distance away near the otter habitat. When he arrived to it he found it undamaged by the storm due to its thick plating and inch-thick bullet-proof glass. He unlocked the back and took out the small toolbox he kept in there for just this kind of situation. Plenty of screws and nails to patch up the zoo and ensure no unwanted guests.

"Oh God," came Andrew's voice from the other side of the van. "Hey, Alexander. Your equipment has been completely destroyed by the storm."

"What?" X cried, though he wasn't sure if it was more because his full name was used again or because he didn't believe his equipment was ruined.

The result of leaving a bunch of electronics out in a hurricane became apparent after one glance, however. A nearby light post that must have been loose was knocked over and landed directly across X's table, smashing it to bits and sending the expensive monitor and computer to the ground. The small radar dish that had been so vital to his tracking of the penguins was smashed against the ground and cracked; completely unusable. There was something that didn't look like it had been a result of the storm, however: the wires. They were cleanly cut and in so many places that it was only clear that there had been some kind of sabotage.

X threw his toolbox to the ground and cursed himself for not securing his equipment better. The penguins probably wasted no time in getting in there with their wire cutters and then the storm finished the job for them. He picked up the smashed radar dish, wondering if it was possible to even think about repairing it.

"There's no need to worry," Andrew said. "I'm sure the penguins have no intention of leaving the zoo anymore. There shouldn't be a need to track them."

X gripped the dish a little tighter, gritting his teeth. He looked over the smashed equipment, wondering how he had completely forgotten about it. Did the knowledge of the presence of a serial killer, the penguin he was supposed to be protecting using a power plant, and a little storm really throw him off so much? He would have packed it up for sure in other situation.

"No, we gotta track them!" X shouted, making Andrew freeze in the middle of picking up the toolbox. "They stole my machine gun, modified the ammunition, and used it to fight off some other animals we ain't know about. Not to mention they locked us in a room."

Andrew straightened up and nodded. "It's curious to wonder why they would want us to intervene. Unless they've made enemies with a rhinoceros or elephant, I don't think it would take more than a few bullets to help them out."

"They don't want us to help out because they're terrified of me," X argued.

The moment X said that he immediately regretted it. The businessman's face lit up like he was suddenly intrigued, and X knew that he would be pestered to no end about it immediately. Before the stout man even had a chance to ask a question, however, he tried to cover himself up by saying, "They modified my gun to be non-lethal. They must be scared of the fact that I'm packing."

Andrew raised a brow. "Last I checked they've never been afraid of weapons before. In Antarctica I saw them use a penguin-sized rifle myself. And the fact that I have a handgun hasn't thrown them off at all."

"So are we going to get this stuff fixed?" X asked, gesturing to the zoo in an attempt to change the subject. One of the things he hated most in the world was being interrogated. The Service had made him that way; protect America's secrets and America will protect you, no matter how dark those secrets were. Memories of the facility came floating back to him. He gave his a head a shake, trying to clear it.

"You've met our penguins before, haven't you?" Andrew asked. For such a useless businessman, he certainly could draw a lot of correct information from one wrong statement. That was the same reason X was so skeptical to work with him in the first place.

"Ain't seen them before in my life, 'sept the day Alice gave me a tour," he lied, knowing Andrew wasn't going to buy it. "We're going to need some some materials to fix the walls," he interjected.

Andrew folded his hands behind his back. "This is about the Harmony incident, isn't it?"

X's eyes went wide. "How do you know about that?"

"I spent far more time researching your abilities than Alice did before we offered you the job of protecting our penguins," Andrew told him. "It just took me until now to connect that what happened in Harmony was truth and not just a legend. Our government is good at covering these kinds of things up, Alexander, but they can't shield the deaths of one hundred of the nation's top biologists forever."

X opened his mouth but all that came out was a confused, "What?" For a man who always considered himself to be cool and collected, he was loosing his head. He knew that this was going to happen. Andrew had officially pushed him pasted his breaking point, and he wouldn't put up with it. There wasn't a man in the world that should have that power over him. It was a very dangerous thing. What happened at Harmony was confidential. His superiors had promised him that one thing. It was something that was underground. Something that X wasn't entirely sure he wanted to do from the beginning. Something that he was never sure was the right thing. Surely the President's safety was threatened, but maybe it had been a good thing. Now that X had seen the tall penguin at the power planet, reunited with one of the animals from the facility after so many years, he was even beginning to regret it.

For the first time since he took the job to raid the facility he felt conflicting emotions that made his head want to spin. This was why the man across from him couldn't have this kind of power over him. It made him loose himself: the hollow shell of a mercenary who did work for the highest bidder.

"Money has a strange way of loosing lips," Andrew commented.

X didn't want to hear him anymore. He felt his grip tighten around the radar plate he forgot he was holding and he had to stop himself from striking his only ally in the world other than Jeffery. "If you knew I had a history with one of your penguins," he said slowly in an attempt to calm himself down, "then why did you purposely come to me for help?"

Andrew smiled, for some reason looking towards X's shoes. The sunshine reflected off of his glasses, shielding his eyes from X's vision. "The artifact."

"The artifact?"

"It absorbed nearly everyone from the face of the planet, did it not?"

X didn't respond. He wasn't sure if he should argue against the man's statement or not.

"It is clear that the artifact has significant power against human beings, though animals are immune to many of its effects. We need some animals to defend us if it ever fell into the wrong hands, and our penguins are those animals."

It was a lot for X to take in all at once. Did Mr. Green, a businessman with a surveillance empire, really experience this unreal power first-hand? X found himself believing it more and more.

"You should know better than anyone, Mr. Xanthopoulos, that a soldier held back by emotional ties to his past. I've brought you here to remove those ties, so show the intellect of our penguin team that he has no reason to dwell in the past. And, as you've made clear to me, maybe you too."

X turned away from the man and grabbed his toolbox. His had been used his entire life, so this was no change for him. Used by the Service, used by his country, even used by the President himself as a type of bodyguard. For that reason he wasn't nearly as angry as even he expected.

He walked away from the man at that point, knowing he needed some form of solitude to think things over. One question made itself known at that point, and that was that if Andrew's goal was to make the four penguins stronger, why did he never see the smallest of them with the other three?


	40. A Change in the Wind

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 39 – A Change in the Wind<strong>

** IT WASN'T A MOMENT TOO SOON WHEN PRIVATE GOT BACK TO THE LEMUR'S CAVE.**

He got there to find Maurice and the puffin at a standoff, both with fur and feathers equally ruffled, showing the signs of the recent struggle. Maurice was breathing heavily and holding the rock he was using as a weapon and the puffin, who was still bound, was on the opposite side of the cave, holding his claw in the air threateningly. Their shouting was audible from outside the habitat, and when Private and Julien heard it they rushed in to Maurice's aid.

King Julien, who was far faster than Private, arrived first and just in time to knock the puffin out of the air as he lunged at Maurice with his talons, though their dull edges didn't look too threatening. As a result the puffin bounced towards the far end of the cave, coming to a rest against the wall. Private cursed himself for not tying the puffin's legs together.

"Thank goodness, Your Majesty," Maurice said. "That puffin is crazy!"

"What happened?" Private asked. "When did he attack you?"  
>Maurice lowered his rock and smoothed the fur behind one of his ears. "Only a few moments after you left. It was like he was purposely waiting for you to leave, because he hopped up like he was never sleeping."<p>

Private thought about how odd it was for the puffin to be sleeping for such a long period of time. He assumed it had been because of his injury, but now he saw it was all part of some hastily formed escape plan.

"I didn't let him escape, though," Maurice added.

"Good job," Private offered, then turned to the puffin who had righted himself. His face was twisted into a grim scowl and his eyes were narrowed and glowing as if they were on fire. "What's your name?" Private asked.

The puffin clicked his tongue and shook his head disapprovingly. "You took a prisoner without even knowing his name?" he said, his Danish accent strong.

Private went over all of the Hoboken animals that had been introduced by Buck. "Savio?" He asked.

"Ugh," the puffin returned, "please do not compare me to zat moral-less garden hose."

"Hans?"

"Bingo. Now, please inform me why you have restrained me, Mr...?"

"Private," the small penguin responded. "You just attacked the lemur who was making sure you didn't run off; I think you know why you were restrained in the first place."

"And here I zought it was for my wing," the Puffin mocked, attempting to pull his broken wing out of the rope. "Now, Mr. Private, please tell me _why_ I've been restrained."

"What? I just..."

The puffin clicked his tongue again, interrupting Private. "Ze only reason to take someone prisoner instead of killing, let alone saving them from a storm, is to use them for something else. I know how you military types work, Mr. Private."

The penguin found himself a little apprehensive at the puffin's words. He hadn't expected him to become aware of his predicament so soon. "The reason we've captured you is because we need your help," he said, knowing they couldn't beat around the bush any longer.

The puffin seemed to smile a little, his frown vanishing instantly. "What exactly is it zat you will be needing help with? Do you want me to renounce Buck Rockgut and help you fight against them?"

He asked each question in a mocking tone, and it actually intimidated Private in a way. The puffin was confident, even in his captured state. Private could drive a knife through his heart right now if he didn't cooperate, but the puffin knew that he wouldn't and he was using it to his advantage.

Private wondered for a moment how exactly he was going to handle the situation. He needed to somehow convince the puffin that he needed his help against Skipper, but he didn't even know if he really wanted to go through with it anymore. That salute that Skipper had given him after the encounter with the Hoboken animals, had it been genuine? Or had it just been a conditioned response like Private's was? Was there a chance in the world that Skipper might actually want to work with him? If that was the case, he couldn't form an agreement with this puffin, but he also couldn't just let him go. If he actually needed the puffin's help, he would greatly regret letting him go back to the Hobokeners right now.

He wasn't entirely sure what to do, so he did the one thing that came to mind. He lowered his brow and crossed his flippers across his chest, much in the same way that his ex-leader would. Immediately the puffin's smile faded and he looked like he was listening intently.

"All that you're allowed to know for now as that you're being held hostage against your will, and that we'll figure out what we're going to do with you soon enough. If you are a polite prisoner, maybe we'll remember to feed you once in a while."

Private knew it was a stretch, but it was the only way to quell the puffin until he could figure out exactly what to do. He glanced to his left and saw both Julien and Maurice giving him confused looks so he told them, "What are you waiting for? Go get some more rope so this doesn't happen again!"

Julien and Maurice looked at each other, Maurice giving a shrug before Julien pointed out into the habitat, instructing Maurice to obtain the rope. The wide lemur grumbled a little bit before he headed off to look for the last of the length of rope that had once been used to tie up Private.

"You're nozing like Mr. Rockgut made you out to be, Mr. Private," Hans said.

"Huh? What does Buck know about me?" Private responded.

"Not zat Mr. Rockgut," the puffin returned like he was offended. "Rockgut junior."

"Geir?"

"Yes. Ze only time he ever speaks is when his fazer is around, and when he does, he speaks much about you."

"What does he say?" Private asked.

"He said you're ze only ozer penguin left in the world who actually has a heart."

Private opened his beak but closed it again, holding back his further questions. Why did Gier say that about him, when Buck said he was the one who lead the Hobokeners to Skipper for revenge? He remembered hearing something about him being angry because he was left behind to die in the Antechamber, but Private was unconscious during all of that. Was that why Gier had said such a thing about him? Because he jumped in front of the unclosed Sun to save Manfredi? It didn't even matter; Manfredi was dead anyway and his sacrifice didn't change anything.

Private found truth in the puffin's statement, however. He was implying that at one point Private actually had a heart, and that maybe he lost it. Whereas once he would argue against taking a prisoner of war, now he was keeping a live puffin in hopes that he could use it as a weapon in the future against a penguin that once was his best friend. That's something that has to be meditated, not something that comes from spontaneity. His entire life, all the time he spent trying to help animals and protect the innocent had been for nothing.

Even if Skipper's salute had been genuine, it held no significance. Skipper was the penguin who had molded Private into the heartless bird he now was. Skipper had taken Private in his most insecure time when he was unsure about the world and his role in it, destined to kill his friend in order to save the humans, and and thrown him into darkness. At a time when Private needed support, needed reason, needed family, Skipper pummeled him into the concrete. Private still heard the flat-headed penguin's words on that fateful night.

"_Get him out of here before I kill him!"_

A command to Kowalski given out of what Private was sure was pure hatred. Skipper threw away everything they had been working on, comprehending what the Sun was trying to tell him, all those nights on top of the bunker. All because maybe some of the zoo animals weren't going to accept it or maybe things would be a little harder. It was like he was trying to shelter everyone from what the Sun had prophesied, and as a result Private was pushed away.

And what did that make the young penguin? A hollow carcass of a once compassionate, once caring bird. He was once a penguin raised to love his neighbor like himself, and now he was plotting his friend's death and in the meantime trying to make allies with his ex-leader's known enemies.

Suddenly he felt like the traitor, like he deserved what had happened to him. No, that wasn't true. Skipper didn't even remotely consider the more reasonable side of everything that was going on. He didn't even understand why Marlene and Julien deserved to know about the mass absorption. He didn't even care about keeping Private on the team. And that was why Private was now standing across from a pigeon who hated the flat-headed penguins' guts, attempting to make a deal.

And Private's side of the payment would be Skipper's life.

Thankfully Maurice returned with the rope and he threw it to Private, meaning that Private didn't need to immediately respond to Hans. He wasted no time in binding the puffin's wings a little better in addition to tying his legs together, though he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable that the puffin wasn't struggling. When he used the last of the rope the puffin looked more like a mummy than a flighted bird.

"Keep an eye on him for me again, guys," Private told Julien and Maurice.

"Where are you going?" the wide aye-aye asked him.

"I haven't seen Marlene in a day," he responded. "I want to make sure she's doing okay after the storm. Besides, I need some time to think about what to do about Hans."

Private glanced towards the lemurs and couldn't help but notice a guilty look on Julien's face. After thier encounter on the top of the clock tower he knew that Julien knew what he was doing to Marlene was wrong. It wasn't Private's place to intervene, though. He had far too much else to worry about. He just hoped that maybe someday Julien would realize his mistake and maybe he could protect Marlene in the meantime. That perhaps Julien didn't fall further down the same endless chasm that Private had been forced into.

Because even if he didn't have a heart, that certainly didn't mean that he didn't have anyone close to where one should be.

Private hopped out of the lemur's enclosure, vaulting between the rock side and the brick wall. For the first time he felt some resistance in the movement, and when he hit the ground on the other side of the wall he actually felt winded. It might have been from the little scuffle with the puffin, but Private knew better. Over a week without daily training routines had taken its toll on him, however it wasn't the only cause.

The level of stress and anger Private had been feeling was the real culprit, and he knew that. Rico had been generous enough to bring him daily meals regardless of everything going on and, though he usually lacked and appetite, he had been eating well. His body was still loosing weight and muscle; a direct result of his situation.

He remembered his father telling him about that once. If you worry too much you'll fall into sickness and your body will destroy itself. Perhaps he hadn't relayed it so darkly, but that's exactly what Private was thinking. If only the pain and the confusion would go away, maybe he could get his body back in shape and be in proper condition to take down Kowalski when the time beckoned.

When Private was almost to Marlene's habitat, a familiar voice from behind him made him grimace. It was just the penguin he didn't want to see right now: Kowalski. He hesitated for a moment and wondered if he should act like he didn't hear the intellectual.

Before he spun around he tried to put on a genuine smile. Not too wide, just a little narrowing of the eyes, a little turn up at the corner of his beak. The cute kind of thing that the humans used to '_D'aww_' over. "Hey, Kowaslski," he greeted, disguising the animosity in the statement.

He glanced around and noticed that the tall bird was alone. Was this going to be his chance to take Kowalski as a prisoner? Suddenly, his flippers tensed up and he almost took a step forward, but he held himself back. He already had one prisoner he wasn't entirely sure what to do with; this was not the time to be taking another.

"...can't seem to... are you okay?" Private didn't even realize that Kowalski had been talking to him.

Private replaced the smile he knew had faded as best as he possibly could. "Just a little shaken up about what happened this morning."

"Ah, yes, this morning was quite eventful, wasn't it? Hopefully those Hoboken animals won't be back anytime soon," Kowalski stated. He had his clipboard out in front of him though he wasn't paying it any attention. Instead he was looking directly at Private, who found it difficult to look much above the top edge of the clipboard.

"Pretty good idea, modifying Officer X's gun to shoot rubber like that," commented Private, unsure of what else to say. He wanted to call off the conversation and make for Marlene's habitat, but something wouldn't hold him to the ground. Some unknown force had him planted to the spot and even though he tried to move it was like his legs weren't responding. Through his frustration in talking to Kowalski he scowled, causing a his ex-teammate to give a confused expression.

"Your words don't seem sincere," he realized. "Did you want me to shoot real bullets and kill Rockgut?"

Private cringed at the question because he knew it was directed directly towards him. Kowalski was toying with the fact that he was once kind and compassionate and now he was dark and cruel. He hated it, but held back the destructive words he wished to say and instead muttered, "No, but Skippah sure did."

"Skipper has been making strange orders recently, some of which I have been unable to fulfill. The gun was just one example. Not to long ago Skipper ordered me to tip Rico's bat with barbed wire so that it would do far more damage to Officer X's shins. I couldn't go through with that, of course."

Private was surprised. Did Kowalski just suggest that he was trying to avoid seriously hurting the man he hated most in the world? It must have been clear to the intellectual by now that X wasn't here to hunt him down, but Skipper still seemed to be going with it.

Kowalski continued. "That's why I stopped you, actually. You've always been the best at making sure the team follows at least something akin to moral standards, so maybe the next time you see Skipper you could pass that onto him? He doesn't seem to be listening to reason anymore."

"I'm not even on the team anymore," Private blurted out. He found it completely insulting that Kowalski was asking him for help, considering he was the one who was pushing for Private to be discharged in the first place. "Skippah's not going to listen to me."

"I know you're not on the team anymore but that's not the truth," countered Kowalski. "I know what happened that night in the bunker was beyond any of our control and maybe it was best for us to go our separate ways, but Skipper isn't himself without all three of us. He's been making orders like we're a table with a missing fourth leg. Then he chooses the more drastic routes when he acknowledges that we just aren't the same as we used to be."

As much as he tried not to, Private lowered his brow and the scowl returned. What did Kowalski mean by all of this? Was he trying to make amends for what had happened? Was he trying to say that there was a chance in the world that they could actually reform the quartet? That what happened that night could be water under the bridge?

_ Too bad for Kowalski_, thought Private, _water doesn't just flow under bridges unnoticed when it's tainted by blood._

"He's going to have to adjust like all of us," Private said, hiding his darker thoughts. "Just because he needs me to save his tail now that Buck is here for him doesn't mean I'm going to come back."

Kowalski nodded as though he was expecting that response. Private felt his scar dully throb; Kowalski was seriously beginning to anger him. It was in everything he did from his actions to the way he set Private up and cornered him to get what he wanted. "If you truly feel that way then don't trouble yourself. I just thought you would be interested, after all we've been through."

The guilt card. Private crossed his flippers; that wasn't going to work on him. "Funny," he said, "I remember telling Skippah that the same night he pummeled me. Don't you?"  
>Finally Private was able to catch Kowalski off guard. For the first time the intellectual penguin averted his own eyes back to his clipboard, realizing that he was fighting a loosing battle. Private couldn't tell if that battle was just over something as silly as 'who was to blame?' or something bigger, though. For some reason, however, he felt he needed humiliate his ex-leader.<p>

"I am truly sorry for what happened that day," Kowalski admitted, catching Private as equally off guard. "I was angry at you, yes, but I never wished that it would come to that extent."

"Then why did you hold me down?" Private shot, trying to find more ways to attack the bird across from him.

"I... er... Skipper..."

Private smiled again, realizing he was finally ruffling the tall intellectual's feathers. "Don't answer that," he interrupted. "We both know the answer already, anyway."

Kowalski hesitated for a moment, and Private saw that his emotional facade was falling. It was a confidence booster for the small penguin, that was for sure. If he had to take down Kowalski in the coming days, at least he knew he could do it more easily. "I know Skipper regrets what happens as much as I do. He's trying to adapt to this new world without humans in his own way, and that's probably not the best way."

"Maybe that's because it can be fixed." Private let the statement slip from his beak, then immediately regretted it. Any chance that Kowalski might have forgotten the fact that he was supposed to be the sacrifice to restore the humans to life was forfeit.

"Maybe that's true," Kowalski said, "and maybe that'll benefit us all in the end."

With that Kowalski waddled away, leaving Private confused. Was it possible that Kowalski had embraced what the Sun said was his destiny? If that was true, maybe he was a little more perspicacious than Skipper ever had been. Skipper was the one who had saluted him, though.

Private felt a little nauseous as the conflicting emotions he was feeling began to clash like the hurricane that ripped the zoo apart only just the previous night. Between Skipper attempting to kill Buck, Hans' statement in the lemur's cave, and Kowalski's words, he was struggling with what to think. The only thing he did while hopping the wall to Marlene's habitat was cursing himself for getting so reassociated with the team that had forced him away.


	41. An Unlikely Connection

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 40 – An Unlikely Connection<strong>

** "GIVE HIM SOME ROOM!"**

The auburn lemur's voice took on a commanding tone as he shooed the surrounding animals away from the unmoving form of Buck, who he had just gently set on the ground. Emilio's scooter had made for great transportation towards the abandoned grocery store that was being used as a base of operations by the group, and the water mammal quietly wheeled away from his fallen leader. Clemson went to work inspecting Buck's body for wounds. Nearby was the smaller rockhopper; Buck's son Geir. His face was shadowed by the dusty sunlight shining in on them as he looked down upon his father.

Dmitri stood with Irena on the outer ring of the group of animals, which had formed just inside the door to the store. It was dimly lit inside; the only light was coming through the storefront windows and barely reached halfway back through the store itself. From what Dmitri could tell, food was rotting on the shelves behind them, making the air smell stagnant and putrid. It wasn't like any other food he had ever seen before, though. More or less just containers with pictures of food. Regardless, he turned back and looked at the fallen penguin before them, glancing up at Irena's worried expression for only a moment. For some reason he didn't share her concern, and he figured it was because he didn't possess her compassion for strangers.

He glanced up around at the animals in the room, viewing their mixed expressions. He couldn't draw too much from them, after all; he hardly knew what a dolphin or a walrus was before today and didn't really understand how to read them. The opposite was true for the split second he locked eyes with Gier, however. The penguin's face was like a blank facade, unwavering. He looked alert but not troubled; focused but not panicky. He shifted the penguin-sized rifle over his shoulder a bit and Dmitri figured he'd see more reaction from the small rockhopper, considering his father was laying before him, potentially dead. But as with every other minute he spent with the group since partnering with them, he was learning there was far more to the outside world than just emperor creed, though he couldn't say in particular that he didn't expect it to be that way.

"Is he dead?" The sudden question came from the walrus Dmitri had learned was named Rhonda. Her voice was rough and her tone amplified her obvious disinterest in her leader's wounded state. Clemson didn't respond, and instead focused on looking over Buck's statue-like body. He tediously lifted each flipper and ran his paws up and down them, before setting them gently back down. "I said, is he dead?" Rhonda repeated herself.

"Calm down, I'm working on it," Clemson returned heatedly, and Rhonda scowled. "He's not dead; not even a scratch on his body. No indication of broken bones, either." The lemur stood up and crossed his arms, looking down at his unconscious leader. Dmitri saw Geir nod silently, then move away from the group and down one of the many darkened isles of the store.

"How did he survive being shot that many times with a weapon of that caliber?" Savio the boa constrictor asked. His forked tongue flicked out of his mouth between each word as he smelled the air, noticeably drawing out his S sounds. His long form was curled around the entire group, and Dmitri couldn't help but notice a look of boredom on his face as he slithered in a slow, giant circle.

"It was obviously modified," Clemson answered. "That's possible, right Blowy?"

The dolphin clenched his jaw at yet another nickname. "It is likely that the peng-goo-ins manipulated their rifle to fire something not lethal, yes."

"See, told you," Clemson shot to the boa, then smiled. "He'll be just fine; he's just taking a nap."

"Anyone else injured?" Emilio asked the group. "Those bullets were something like rubber and I felt a few of them ricochet off even me."

Dmitri rubbed a spot on the side of his head where he had been pelted, and grimaced. He and Irena had taken cover immediately after the first few shots had gone off, but that didn't save him entirely. He had no idea what they were getting themselves into when they agreed to go on Buck's little mission, and there was no way he'd have predicted they'd be up against other penguins with a weapon comparable to what the hunters used in Antarctica. He had seen Gier's rifle, but the gravity of its existence didn't really hit him until they were there in the heat of the battle. And this battle—sparked by whatever rivalry Buck had with that Skipper penguin—was not something he wanted to be part of. Gently, he tapped Irena's shoulder, then gestured towards the door with a simple nod of his head. She looked confused for a moment, then shook her head in defiance. Dmitri arched a brow, about to open his beak, but the female held up a flipper to silence him. Once again, a simple motion spoke a volume of words. She wanted to stick around, at least for the time being. Dmitri crossed his flippers, and looked away from the group, down one of the dark isles. There he saw two glowing orbs staring back at him, this time narrowed. When Gier seemed to have noticed Dmitri had found him in his shadow, he moved out of sight. Dmitri shook his head gently, then returned his attention to the group.

"We're alright, just a little shaken up." Irena was in the middle of answering a question that Clemson had asked them and he hadn't even noticed.

"Good. That means we're only down one bird." He nudged Buck's flipper with his foot, who reinforced the lemur's point by not responding.

"Make that two," the dolphin interjected. "We still don't know what happened to Hans."

Clemson huffed. "That traitor abandoned us, I'm sure. He never cared about us Jerseyians to begin with. He just cared about getting his payback. And as we can see," he gestured to Buck, "those penguins are a bit more prepared than we expected."

"Sorry," Irena piped up, "what did Hans want?"

"His nest got blown up by Skipper, or something like that," Rhonda answered first, sounding oddly uninterested about her teammate. "Hey, why are you guys even with us, anyway?"

"We've journeyed a long way from Antarctica, and we're trying to figure out where to go from here," Irena answered truthfully. "We agreed to help your team capture Skipper and Julien in return for protection and food."

"Well _help_ you certainly did," Savio said, "if _help_ means duck and cover."

"Shut up, Savio. You know you were halfway up the nearest tree when the bullets started flying," Clemson countered. The snake gave the lemur a brief glare, and then looked back at the two penguins.

"We're sorry that your leader was wounded, really. We've never seen a weapon like that," Irena offered.

"Noted," the lemur responded with a nod. Then he turned his attention to the group as a whole. "With Buck out of commission for now that means I'll be calling the shots around here. First of all, we're going to do things my way: covert ops. As for now I think we've all had a long morning. We'll regroup here early tomorrow, and then draw up some new plans."

The animals broke apart at that point, each moving to a separate area of the abandoned store. This left the two foreigners standing awkwardly near the unconscious Buck, who Clemson had propped up on a couple of boxes. The rockhopper's breathing was now audible, and was slow but steady. Dmitri turned to Irena and crossed his flippers.

"Why don't you want to go?" he asked her, referencing her previous response to the suggestion.

The female glanced up a few of the darkened isles and then to the unconscious buck as though she was ensuring there was nobody within earshot. "Where else _would_ we go?" She finally responded.

"I don't know," Dmitri admitted, "but maybe wherever we'll be going we won't be shot at."

Irena looked towards the ground. "I suppose you're right, but I don't think Clemson or Buck even expected them to have a gun. The way they pitched it to us made it seem like capturing Skipper would be an easy task."

"Right," Dmitri agreed, "and if we leave we can try to talk to Skipper on our own terms. I don't want to capture him, I just want to ask him about my dad. Edgar said he was on Manfredi's original team."

"So you are Manfredi's son," came a voice from behind them, startling Dmitri. He whipped around and saw Gier stepping out of the shadows, his penguin rifle loosely hung at his side. The small penguin's voice was low and hoarse; something of a mystery to Dmitri based on his size. Each word seemed as though it induced pain in the smaller bird as it left his beak.

Dmitri glanced to Irena for a possible response; he wasn't sure what to say. He had wanted to keep that information quiet, at least until he discovered more about how Buck was involved with the Penguin Army. She returned an equally confused look so he looked back at the rockhopper and responded, "What's it to you?"

Gier nodded solemnly. "I knew your father shortly before he died. He saved my life."

Dmitri was taken aback at the statement, not entirely sure how to respond. How was it that so many birds involved with his father's past were now surrounding him? "You were there, in the Temple of the Sun?"

"So you know your father's fate?" The small bird asked in return.

"Yes. I saw his body. He was leaning up against the Sun like he had just replaced it before he died."

"That's exactly what he did," Gier affirmed. "Come, sit with me a while."

The small rockhopper waddled over and leaned his rifle up against some of the empty crates nearby before taking a seat next to his unconscious father. Dmitri and Irena heaved themselves up on some crates across from him. The failing light from coming through the storefront windows was upon them, drawing long shadows into the depths of the store.

"I thought I had lost my father," Gier told them, looking down at the large rockhopper. "After I heard the Penguin Base exploded and he didn't return home, I figured he was gone forever. I went looking for him in Denmark, but couldn't find him. All I found was this," he gestured to the old rifle, "and a whole lot of ruined concrete. Then Sargent Caspian found me, and then we found your father."

"You wanted to kill him," Dmitri responded, coolly. This was the first animal they had met upon arriving who was open to discussion, so he wasn't about to ruin it.

"I didn't really care, to be honest. My only goal was to finish what my father had worked and presumably died for. He always told me, "never speak, just act," so that's exactly what I did. I wanted to help Sarge gain the Sun. But then I met your father and Manfredi and that all changed."

"What happened in the Antechamber?" Irena asked, her face showing the curiosity Dmitri was also experiencing.

Gier's eyes glossed over with memories. "Sarge almost got what he wanted. He had the Sun in his flippers, and all of Manfredi and Skipper's soldiers had been disabled. Likewise, my teammate had been killed; though I do not feel animosity towards his death. It was Caspian and I across from Manfredi and a small penguin named Private, both unarmed. We could have killed them right there. I almost did. But the defiance Private exhibited, his unrelenting loyalty towards his leaders, his disposition to fight to the end, to do what's right, is what turned me. I betrayed Caspian, and helped Manfredi defeat him."

"Wow," Dmitri heard Irena say.

"Why are you telling us this?" he asked.

"You seemed like you needed to know," Gier responded simply. "That being said, I hope you understand that my father once plotted to kill your father, and you will not let it affect you."

"Of course not," Dmitri returned. "After all, it was Caspian that did him in, right?"

"Exactly," Gier affirmed. "But be aware that my father was fiercely loyal to him, and to this day wishes to fulfill his wishes. That means, if he discovers who you really are, he may wish to kill you as well." Gier stood up and walked a bit forward so his face was once more concealed in shadow. "For that reason, it is in your best interest to leave." With that the small rockhopper turned and left the two other birds.

Dmitri stared at the penguin until he disappeared into the shadow. That small penguin was definitely the most mysterious of all of the animals on Buck's team. Nonetheless, he was a penguin that was involved with his father, and that made him of value to Dmitri. That penguin had seen first-hand what his father did, and now Dmitri realized it was a sacrifice. But if Gier betrayed Caspian to help Manfredi and ultimately Skipper, why was he now hunting down that same penguin?

The disheveled penguin looked down at the unconscious rock hopper, wondering if any word that had been exchanged graced his ears. It was gutsy of Gier to talk of something so sensitive right over his father. Perhaps his intention had even been to reveal the information so that Buck might draw his own conclusions. Either way, Dmitri felt like heeding the rockhopper's warning was their best bet.

"Alright, I'm convinced," Irena admitted suddenly, and Dmitri looked up to see her sitting on a crate with her head in her flippers. "It's not safe for us here."

Dmitri nodded, looking down at the large penguin he had both just sworn allegiance to and realized might want to kill him. "When will we go?"

"I don't know, do you think they'll let us just leave?"

The male shrugged. "Their doesn't seem to be much other loyalty around here, so who knows. Maybe they'd be happy to see us go." He gestured to the blackness. "He sure seems like it."

Irena opened her beak to respond, but closed it and looked surprised when the monotonic hum of the dolphin's scooter came into earshot. Dmitri turned around to see the gray dolphin wheeling towards them, his face scrounged up with what Dmitri could only assume was anger. Clutched under his flipper was a strange, clear bag of fluid.

Without even paying heed to the two penguins, Emilio stopped near the unconscious penguin. He hit a few buttons on his segue and a few robotic arms came out of it, gently scooping up Buck. Then Blowhole hit a few more buttons on his control panel and the arms set the penguin down on a stack of crates more on the Dolphin's level. Then the dolphin took the clear bag of fluid from under his arm, holding a needle Dmitri now saw over Buck. A clear tube ran from the bag to the needle.

"What are you doing?" Irena asked. Blowhole froze as if he was startled, then turned around.

"Oh, it's just you," He responded, his disinterest apparent. "I thought you were that oaf _Rhonda_." The dolphin then felt around on the penguin's flipper with his own flipper for a moment. When he seemed to be satisfied, he gingerly slipped the needle into the leader's skin.

Dmitri hopped up. "What _are_ you doing?" he asked, curiously waddling over to get a better view. The dolphin was now gently squeezing the plastic bag. When he was satisfied he set it on the edge of a crate just higher up than the unconscious Buck.

"There's no way for us to know for sure he's not bleeding internally," the Dolphin answered, bored. "A mixture of sugar water will thicken his blood a bit to help stop it if it exists, and also keep him hydrated. If he's not bleeding, he'll just have a lot of energy when he wakes up."

Dmitri nodded. He briefly compared himself to Buck, laying unconscious on the slab of ice in the Penguin City hall, and the dolphin to Edgar, saving his life with strange chemicals. The thought of the black-beaked penguin and how his help had been both necessary and generous made him ask, "Loyalty is pretty scarce around here, isn't it?"

"Some of us would say that," Blowhole returned, turning to look at the penguin as though he had sparked his interest. "Let's just say we've all got different interests, and we're not all entirely sure they don't conflict."

"Why are you on this team?" Irena asked.

"Me? To play medic, obviously."

"No, I mean, what do you want to gain?"

Blowhole's eyes narrowed. "I know what you meant," he shot, his words sharp. "And honestly, I'm here for an old friend. After Buck gets what he wants, him and I are going to try to turn New York into a haven."

Dmitri arched a brow. "What do you mean?"

Blowhole sighed. "Humans are obnoxious, but what they build is quite... comfortable. Now that they've disappeared, we're trying to return those amenities to the animals that suffered here for many, many years."

"Interesting," Dmitri commented, "but that seems like a lot of work."

"It's a day job," Blowhole returned. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to go convince our rodent of a leader to spare my friend's life. He seems to have forgotten my agreement with Buck."

The dolphin wheeled away, leaving Irena and Dmitri alone once more by the unconscious leader that seemed to have been forgotten about at this point. "Do you think his friend was involved with Skipper earlier today?" Dmitri asked after the dolphin was out of earshot.

"Potentially." Then she glanced to the door. "We should leave now, though. Things seem to be on pretty shaky ground around here."

There was a groan nearby, and both penguins looked to see Buck stirring. He sat up slowly at first, the tube full of sugar-water dangling loosely at his side. He woozily held a flipper to his crew-cut feathers, then rubbed his eyes. Then, frighteningly quick, he stood up and ripped the needle from his arm. His brow was now lowered, his eyes focused on the two penguins before him.

"Aren't you in pain?" Irena asked, but Buck shook his head.

"There's nothing wrong with me," Buck affirmed, then rolled a shoulder to emphasize the fact, "but I think there's something wrong with you lovebirds."

There was a brief pause; Dmitri was unsure of what to say. He didn't need to say anything, though, as suddenly and roughly he was scooped from the ground, and he realized he was being held in the air by one of Rhonda's massive flippers. "Hey, put me down!" He cried, and kicked, but it was no use. He looked over when he heard Irena scream and gasped when he saw Savio wrapping his long form around her.

The snake come closer to her face and flicked his tongue, making her flinch. "So you don't think we're loyal?" He said, menacingly.

"Let me teach you a little lesson about this Army, cupcakes. The biggest thing you can do wrong is desert. Once you're in, you're in." He crossed his flippers and stared Dmitri down. From behind a crate came Gier, Clemson, and Blowhole. "And now you've got a lot of explaining to do, Manfredi Jr."

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>So yeah. Here's this story again. Apologies for the unexplained hiatus; getting married takes more effort than I expected. But the big day has come and passed, and now I'm ready to tackle this story once again. No promises about update rate, but I'm feeling pretty good. Maybe I'll even get the next chapter out by March!


	42. An Imminent Threat

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 41<strong> –** An Imminent Threat**

**"WHAT?"**

Marlene jumped up at Private's statement. It seemed he hadn't been gentle enough about letting her know about his new prisoner, and she was immediately concerned about it.

"Doesn't Skipper know about him?" Marlene asked, referencing the injured puffin.

Private shook his head. "Of course not. If Skippah knew about him, he would either demand Hans be transferred to his custody, or immediately release him."

"Did the Hoboken animals mention anything about him before Skipper... er, shot at them?"

"Not a word. My guess is they didn't suspect we'd captured him." Private looked down towards the ground, kicking his feet back and forth over the edge of Marlene's stone bed. The otter had begun pacing the room, her paws folded behind her back. It was a mannerism Private had never seen from her before, and something she now did almost non-stop.

"What are you trying to accomplish by holding him against his will, then?" Marlene asked, not even looking at him. She focused on nothing in particular; the floor, a wall, the entrance. It was obvious she was lost in thought. "Since it doesn't seem like it had any effect on his group."

"I 'unno," Private lied. He twiddled his flippers together for a moment, playing the innocent routine. The otter looked at him with disbelief and he scowled. That tactic was long since rendered useless. "Okay. Hans lost his family when Skippah made the Penguin Base explode. Because of that, he wants Skipper dead. I'm hoping I can convince him to work with me when the time comes capture... or kill... K'walski."

"Oh, right." The otter's eyes fell, and her sheepish tone made it seem like she had entirely forgotten about that fact. Private figured it was because she had never really wanted to believe it, or maybe she had far too many of her own worries right now to keep track of his. She seemed to have been slowly working back to her old self since Julien cut off their relationship, but her anguish was still evident through her actions. She had prepared tea when he first arrived, but now it sat cold on her table. Normally she'd have insisted he drink it before then.

"So far not much has come of it," Private admitted, "and he's proving to be much smarter than I originally thought."

"Seems a lot of animals we know are doing the same," Marlene said.

"Huh?" Private asked, curious at the statement.

"There's talk from the other animals in the zoo," Marlene told him. "They're planning on forming their own group and leaving. That businessman's doing a good job of keeping them fed, but even he's been talking about how the food is running out. And now that Skipper's jumping straight to fatal violence in this conflict, they're fearing their safety."

"Oh," Private said, and stopped kicking his feet. He hadn't even thought about the other animals in the zoo and how they might be reacting to what happened just that morning. Skipper had asked them not to become involved, and as a result he almost brutally murdered another penguin. The only thing that saved Buck was Kowalski's quick thinking. "When are they thinking of leaving?"

"According to Roy and Joey—the two who are organizing this thing—they're going to leave whenever the food is gone. They think they've got about two or three days."

"Does Skippah know?" Private asked.

"No, but they don't plan on telling him. Joey even said if Skipper tries to stop them 'he'll put him in his place'," Marlene answered. She had stopped pacing and took a seat back at her table. She picked up one of the teacups but didn't put it to her lips to drink.

After a moment, Private said, "Can't blame them. I mean, it's a whole new world out there, now that the humans are gone. Why would they want to stick around here?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Marlene agreed. "But there's another thing I should tell you, Private." She set down her teacup and looked seriously into his eyes.

"What's that?"

"I'm leaving with them."

"What?" Private exclaimed, standing up. "That's crazy!"

Marlene put her paws together, twiddling her fingers. Private noticed the distinct air of exhaustion around her; how her eyes were downcast and how a frown highlighted her face. Her fur wasn't dirty but definitely looked unkempt. The look of an otter who had lost all her zest for life.

But why? Sure Julien had left her for reasons Private couldn't yet figure out, but did that really mean she had to leave the zoo forever? Leave without saying goodbye to the penguins she once risked her life to fight for?

"You can't do it," Private stated simply, crossing his flippers.

"I am," Marlene returned, not looking up from her paws. "This place is nothing like it used to be. It's a wreck and there are no humans to provide any incentive to stay here. And with the whole Buck-Skipper thing going on, I'm afraid."

"But," Private stuttered. "Skippah can work it out, he always has."

"That Skipper is long gone," Marlene offered. "The new Skipper just jumps to conclusions, uses brute force rather than his cunning, and ignores everyone around him."

Private looked towards the ground; this time it was his turn to frown. The otter was right. Skipper was nothing like he had been even just before the mass absorption. Even Private didn't know what to think of his ex-leader, and he'd only been gone for a little over a week.

Suddenly Private lowered his brow, his frown growing to a deep scowl. Skipper shouldn't matter. He was a jerk and didn't want to believe in what had to be done. Kowalski had to die. That hadn't changed.

"What about K'walski?" Private asked. This notion caused the otter's face to fall blank, her eyes growing wide.

"I... I can't be involved in that, Private. I told you that already."

Private balled his flippers into fists and felt his heart accelerate. His face was shadowed and he felt a dull pain grow from his scar. "Bloody hell, Marlene! You certainly seemed pretty cool about bringing the humans back a few days ago. Why do you want to bail now?"

Marlene closed her eyes. She looked genuinely frightened now. "I... I told you," she stuttered, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears. "I couldn't... kill. I just couldn't! Not a friend!"

"Then what makes you think _I can_?" Private didn't realize he had marched right up to his friend, and was now towering over her like he was her angry father. She put her head in her hands, so he shook her with a flipper and shouted, "_What_?"

Suddenly Marlene pushed Private' with surprising force, making him stumble a bit. The act had shoved Marlene's chair back as well and overturned it, leaving the otter on the ground. She awkwardly brought herself to her knees, continuing to hide her face from him.

When she spoke, it came out quietly. Nothing more than a whisper. "You're not Private. You're just a hollow shell of Private. You're plotting to kill your best friend and your two other teammates if they get in your way." She looked up to him now, and Private saw a distinct look in her eyes. It was as if they had begun to glow red, and he knew she was beginning to loose control. She rose, now breathing heavily. "You're holding a bird captive who did nothing to you so you can get some help in going through with it." She tensed her arms for a moment and sniffed, her nostrils expanding with the inflow of air. "_And you think you can pin it all on me_."

Private barely had time to dodge her when she charged.

* * *

><p>After a scavenge through Central Park and the surrounding buildings, Alexander had come up with a significant amount of supplies to fix up the zoo wall. The storm had left much of New York in shambles, and as a result much of the wood he had picked up came from smashed storefronts and fallen billboards. He even found a hardware store, so he had plenty of nails and the right tools to get the task done.<p>

The large man pulled back into the zoo, glancing at Andrew as he passed. The man was busily repairing the main gate, attempting to replace part of the fence X had originally plowed through on their first arrival after everyone disappeared.

X had done much thinking when he was out on his scavenger hunt. It had been a quiet venture, and it gave him the time he needed to get his thoughts straight. He wasn't surprised at all that Andrew had known much more about him than he led on to believe. That was a typical case for him. Whenever a government official came to him with a task, it was always someone he had never seen before, and someone who played dumb until he realized just how much the government actually knew about him. He hadn't predicted a businessman would have that kind of access to his information, but knew Mr. Green had many resources. Well, at least that was until the people disappeared.

X turned off his van but didn't motion to get out. Briefly he wondered what had brought him back to the zoo in the first place. The thought had crossed his mind many times to just up and leave, to turn away from this place and never come back. Maybe he could stop at home, grab some supplies, and trek to DC to see if he could find Jeffery. He honestly didn't know what was holding him back.

Maybe it was the fact that he always saw a job through to completion. That baffled him, since he rarely did so when he wasn't being paid. Andrew was giving him access to the CIES, yes, but that didn't mean squat when there was hardly any people left on the planet.

The wide man had finished securing the portion of fence and used his ruined dress shirt sleeve to wipe away beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead. He looked in X's direction, and when he saw that X was looking back gave a curt nod, then began working on the next section of fence. X didn't respond, his sunglasses reflecting the mid-day sun.

What a strange man, X thought. He was relying on X to make amends with a bird, so that the bird might be able to protect the world from whatever this Sun thing was. _ To hell with the bird_, he thought to himself. _I'll protect the world my damn self if that's what's needed_.

X opened the back of the van, grabbing some long two-by-fours that he had pried from a ruined storefront. He heaved them up onto his shoulder, then using his free hand grabbed his toolbox. Then he headed for the biggest gaping hole in the zoo's wall: a portion of the polar bear exhibit that had crumbled. The polar bear looked up from his food at him curiously as he stepped through the habitat, but X was surprised to see that it didn't try to escape through the hole that was there. After it had assumed he wasn't a threat, it went back to eating. X stepped over the crumbled concrete and plaster, and on the other side saw that a large tree had fallen on the other side and bounced off the wall, causing the damage. He wouldn't be able to move the massive trunk, which had come to a rest just outside the wall, so he decided to use it as base for his new wall.

He never was a big fan of busy work, but always found himself doing it whenever he had a lot on his mind. Whenever he was trying to devise some plan of attack for his newest mission or figure out the motivation behind the mission itself, he'd be down in his tunnels at home cleaning his weapons or installing some new lighting. It was always something to keep his hands busy while his mind roamed free, and this was a perfect task for that.

He used his drill to secure the two-by-fours vertically to the tree trunk, then cross-braced them with some more. When that was done he began the task of attaching plywood he had found to the two-by-fours, making a functional though unsightly wall. When he was about halfway through that, the sun was beginning to set. The large man glanced over at Andrew, who seemed to have finished fixing the broken fence and was now pounding on the gate with a hammer to straighten it enough so it would close again. He briefly wondered if the businessman had similar thoughts on his mind; about what had been going on over the last week. He wondered if Andrew still had hope in his "penguin team" or if he, too was thinking the reign of humans was over. Would there be any way to get the people back? X didn't know.

X turned to drive another nail into the wall, and as he did so the sound of a small explosion rocked his ears. It was a sound he had heard far too many times before; something that meant he needed to find cover immediately. He dove behind a part of the wall he had yet to repair, hiding behind the plywood. Though he should have known better; plywood is not a decent form of cover. A second explosion sounded and the plywood just over him splintered. Someone was firing upon him!

His heart suddenly accelerated, he reached for the handgun on his belt and upon feeling the empty holster he remembered he gave it to Andrew! He glanced towards the man, who was looking confused at him, like he didn't know what the sounds meant. X signaled to him to get down, and he responded by crouching by the van.

X then tried to army-crawl his way behind some falling plaster, at least giving him some better cover. It exposed him for a brief moment, though, and another shot rang out. The bullet ricocheted off the plaster to his side, clipping him in the leg. He grunted in pain, adrenaline suddenly flowing into his veins and allowing him to roll the rest of the distance and crouch behind the plaster.

"Gotcha," a voice suddenly said, coolly. There was a chuckle. "You make fun target practice."

X clenched his teeth. He had heard that voice before. Sigmund Underwood. "What do you want, Sigmund?" He asked as he inspected his leg. The bullet had just barely managed to lodge itself into his calf muscle, and blood was already beginning to spot his pant-leg.

"To chat," he said. "Come out of hiding, now. I promise I won't shoot you anymore."

X groaned. "I ain't gonna trust that," he said.

"Fine," Sigmund responded, then there was a clicking noise and a sound of metal bouncing of wood. "That better?"

X recognized the sound immediately. It was the sound of a sniper rifle being disassembled; the metal sound was a bullet casing, recently fired. He peeked over the top of his cover and saw the man himself, sitting in a storm-ravaged tree about fifty feet from him. The sniper rifle X had heard was handing loosely around his shoulders, separated into two pieces. X's eyes grew wide when he realized that the rifle was _his_.

"That's a good boy," Sigmund teased.

"How'd you get my rifle?" X asked.

The maniac laughed. "The monitor you so kindly left for me really has a good view of the inside of your little zoo," he explained. "And you shouldn't leave these kinds of things out in storms, you know. They can get ruined!"

X cursed himself under his breath. How could he be so air-headed? He had left not only his surveillance equipment out in the weather but his weapons. He had checked them briefly earlier in the day and didn't account for any missing; he forgot he brought his sniper rifle.

"Just so you know," Sigmund continued, kicking his legs over the edge of the tree branch he was perched on, "I'm a perfect shot. I _never _miss."

X lowered his brow, then lifted himself up using the broken chunk of wall. His leg hurt and was stiff, but it was nothing he wasn't already used to. Ricochets were nothing like being shot with an actual weapon. He shifted his weight to his good leg and looked up at the crazed man. He was still wearing his orange jumpsuit, coated in dirt. His hair was matted and his ghost-like eyes were narrowed at X.

"So you're not here to kill me?" X concluded.

"Nope. Not yet, at least," the man offered, shrugging. He jumped down from the tree and stuck his hands in his pockets, the pieces of rifle swaying awkwardly around him. "I've come to re-extend my offer. Join up with my group."

X glanced around for a moment, expecting some of the other psychos to come out from behind the trees, but there was none. The only sound was a slight breeze rustling the leaves. "Why do you want me along so bad?" he asked.

"People with your expertise in weapons are hard to come by, 'case you didn't notice," Sigmund offered. His voice was calm and he talked as though their conversation was casual.

X scowled, shifting his weight again as his leg began to throb. "Don't you think there's little use for my expertise now? There ain't any cops left; I bet the ones you killed on your way out of the coal mines were the last ones on the planet."

"Not true," Sigmund said, shaking his head. "Like you and me, many people were underground when everyone disappeared. The leaders of said people are grouping in Washington, trying to reform their government. It's only a matter of time before they capture me and boys again. I want to put an end to it before it comes around."

"Your type deserves to rot," X spat, making the Torturer wave his hands defensively.

"Whoa, bad-ass," he laughed. "Have it your way. If you think there's any hope for the world to go back to what it was, though, you're wrong." He put his arms up as if he was gesturing to the world around him. "We're back to the stone age, my friend. Every group for himself." His tone of voice dropped darkly. "And each group has to fend for itself. Catch my drift?"

X arched a brow, then nodded. If he wasn't going to be the Torturer's ally, that automatically made him his enemy. He saw movement in the corner of his eye, and glanced to see Andrew suddenly peeking around a corner, holding his gun just so it was barely in view of Sigmund. Unfortunately the man picked up on this movement, and amazingly had his rifle ready to go and pointed at X within seconds.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, fatty," he laughed. "Now you kiddies play nice. I've got to get back to my people, before they start strangling each other."

"Andy, come out from there," X said. The man shook his head pinned himself with his back to the plaster nearby. His face was clammy and his hands were shaking. "Dammit, Andy," X growled as he heard Sigmund push a bullet into the chamber of his rifle, "Stop it."

Andrew put his hands up then and tossed the pistol to X, who made no motion to grab it when it came to rest on the ground near him. "Time for you to leave," he told the maniac before him.

The man smiled. "Better keep one eye open tonight," he said, then walked away. X watched him without moving until he disappeared behind some buildings across the park.

"What's the deal," Andrew complained. "I could have shot him!"

X shook his head. "You would have missed, and even if you did hit him one shot from a pistol wouldn't have stopped him from getting at least one shot off into me. A pistol ain't got nothing on that rifle."

Andrew scowled, anger plastered on his face. "Well now he's just going to pick us off from a distance." X shifted his weight again, and Andrew looked down at his blood-stained pant-leg. "God, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," X grunted, and hobbled over to his toolbox. He sat down on some ruined concrete and grabbed a pliers, then began extracting the bullet from his leg. It wasn't deep, and though Andrew grimaced, X was used to the pain.

"What are we going to do?"

X shrugged. "We're out manned and outgunned. Our best bet is to head for Washington, like everyone else."

"Not possible," Andrew returned quickly. "We can't leave the penguins. They are our only hope, in case someone finds the Sun. They're not ready to be on their own yet.

"Fine," he grunted. He had gotten a hold on the bullet and pulled it from his leg, causing more blood to trickle from the wound. "Whatever the hell your 'Sun' is. But the longer we stay, the more time that psycho has to kill us. Your birds ain't got long."

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>The chapter took considerably longer to finish than I intended; I apologize for that. Hopefully from here on out I can release one per week, but we'll see. I'll be moving to a new apartment soon, so I'm not sure exactly how much time I'll have.


	43. A Sanity Failing

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 42 – A Sanity Failing<strong>

**HE HAD PICKED UP A TWITCH**.

It wasn't extremely prevalent, but it was definitely there. His left eye had begun incessantly twitching, and he had no idea why. When it started about a day ago he didn't mind it, and figured it would go away after a few minutes or maybe even an hour. When it persisted, he tried rubbing his temples and blinking rapidly to get the muscle to stop its spasms, but it didn't help. Now it had begun to play on his thinking process, and as he sat against the wall of the Antechamber, peering at the glowing portal in the middle, he wondered if it was a sign of his sanity waning.

After all, he now had trouble focusing on anything related to what he came here to do. Each time he was set to perform another experiment with the portal, he lost is train of thought and added some undetermined variable into the mix, spoiling his results. It frustrated him, to say the least. He still possessed the hunger for knowledge that lead him here in the first place, but it didn't seem like he could determine any way to satisfy it.

The only way would be to find the library that Johnson described in his notes. To find it, Edgar would have to continue trying to open doors. And that was now something that was beginning to terrify him.

Every time he felt the courage to try a new door, thinking that just maybe the library might be behind one, he opened it and instantly closed it again when he saw that it was just a small, empty room. He had discovered through his trial and error that if he closed it fast enough, the man in the striped suit couldn't materialize before him. He couldn't give him that smile, peering into his soul from behind those reflective lenses. It was his only defense against the psychological terror the vision was now invoking on his mind.

And now he had the damned twitch. It was as if now he kept his brow permanently furrowed to prevent it from being as annoying, but it only helped a little. It was as if his eye had now become

a clock ticking away the seconds of his life. Tick. Tick. Tick. He slapped his face with both flippers, making it stop momentarily, but it always came back. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Grimacing, he grabbed Johnson's notebook—which had begun to collect dust over the last few days—and his pen and began to write. He hoped that maybe, if he focused, he could keep his thoughts straight just one time.

* * *

><p><strong>A Study of the Sun<br>May 19th, 2010**

_Continued analysis of the portal has proven ineffective. All I have been able to conclude with the tools I have nearby me is that it is a type of energy never before observed, at least in human history. The portal itself also seems to be molded with the same type of energy as the Sun. Holding up an electronic device without a power source to both the portal and the Sun powers the device, and upon growing too close, shorts it out. If I had some better equipment, I may be able to analyze the electrical field these entities are producing. It seems to be much greater than I had ever anticipated, or took advantage of, when I was using it to power the Penguin Base._

_ As modern science has led to believe, powerful electrical fields are always accompanied by magnetic fields of similar strength, but this doesn't seem to be the case with either the portal or the Sun. Metal objects placed at any distance from either the portal or the Sun exhibit no force being applied from any direction, either repulsive or attractive. The only time objects are repelled by either entity is when they actually enter the portal, whereby they are shot out with ludicrous velocity. It's curious, to say the least, and I wish I would have brought better equipment with me to learn more __about the physical properties of this energy._

_ This observation of the physical state of the portal, though not grounded with concrete evidence, has led me to draw from Johnson's conclusions in a different way. It seems that when he wrote, "The Sun exists, yet holds no gravity in our world," he was referring to the plasma-like state of it. It's pure energy at its simplest definition, and thus has no mass. This explains the anti-gravity phenomenon it can exhibit, and also why the portal is not affected by the forces I can imply upon it. The only thing it seem to react to is their own electrical fields, as well as fields I apply to them. I observed a seventeen millimeter displacement in the portal's position when holding a battery up to it before the battery ultimately exploded from overcharging._

_ All this data points back to Johnson's first definition of the Sun as, "Earth's life energy." I still find it hard to believe that a kind of energy as theoretical as "life energy" could manifest itself into such a powerful entity, but I suppose the same event must have occurred to form the hydrogen speck that flung the universe into existence billions of years ago. Maybe that's what Johnson was referencing each time he mentioned the Sun's creator. _

_ Johnson's constant personification of said entity, however, baffles me. Being the educated bird that he was, why didn't he just state which forces he was talking about directly? The conclusions I draw from his intent lead me to believe he's linking the life force every organism on the planet holds to the same energy that is the Sun. Does that mean that whatever celestial being is behind the formation of the planet, be it physical phenomenon or more theological, left this entity here as a power source for the whole planet? And, moreover, does that mean that the entity contained within this little glass canister has the ability to create life of its own accord? _

_ I'm curious to determine if I could achieve such a reaction, but I have no such equipment to even try. I'd need a generator system larger than the one at the Penguin Base to even contain the opened Sun, and then I'd have to devise some way to access the pure life energy within. I don't know if Earth even possesses the correct elements to achieve such a task. It's a curious idea, and something that could be done in the future._

_ Studies involving the portal will have to be conducted soon, though. I've taken some rough measurements of its width, daring to go no closer than I deemed safe to get those measurements. The measurements I took forty-eight hours ago and the ones I took just recently don't match up, and my suspicion has been confirmed. The portal is shrinking, and my guess is it's because whatever electrical energy it is that is holding it in place isn't one-hundred percent effective. Some of the 'life energy' must be escaping, causing the portal to shrink. By cross-referencing the rate of decay I just measured by the current size of the portal, I've estimated that it has no longer than two weeks left before it vanishes completely. That's not to say it won't grow so unstable that it will collapse far before then, though. It's all a matter of the properties of the energies at hand. _

_ What the portal's closing means, though, I have no idea. Johnson makes the portal seem as though it's some sort of keyhole, so that means if its to be unlocked in a metaphorical sense, it must be soon. I haven't the slightest idea of what would unlock it, though, or what that even means. Would it just release the energy it still contains, or would there be some type of reaction with the Sun? This is the problem I've experienced when studying energy of similar nature; light, electricity, heat. Often times they can be so unpredictable that without the notes and formulas birthed from years and years of study they become entirely dangerous. The portal is no exception, and I still have the battery acid burns to signify that._

_ Johnson's notes were supposed to rectify that notion, but even though I have become somehow more understanding of his methods over the last two weeks, I have yet to find any clue as to where the library he used might be located. The penguin made it seem like such an easy task; all he had to do was open one door and then walls upon walls of books about the history of this place revealed themselves to him. Whenever I open the doors, I see empty rooms. Needless to say, I'm beginning to doubt the existence of the library entirely. But that still doesn't describe where Johnson got his knowledge about the Sun._

_ Regardless of how I try to approach this task, it seems more and more impossible. I'm beginning to loose my drive to delve into the unknown. Johnson's methods of describing the origin of the Sun and the temple are becoming more logical with each passing hour. My years of education tell me that there is some factual proof of it's induction, but I have no urge to discover it. This 'creator', the one that Johnson describes as creating the life energy that hovers before me, is becoming more real to me each day. I've begun to wonder to myself if the Sun, in all its mystery, was never supposed to be understood on a level deeper than that. If maybe it was created to be feared and never studied. Maybe that explains why it can halt the rotation of the Earth when it is removed._

_ I know but one thing now. If some 'creator' is behind the Sun, then it must also be behind this portal. That gives the portal a purpose, something higher than just being a swirling aberration of energy. I'm truly beginning to believe it is a keyhole; something that needs to be unlocked. I just don't know what object it could be..._

* * *

><p>Edgar put down his pen and immediately put his flippers to his temples, letting the journal roll off his lap and onto the cold tile underneath him. His twitch had picked up in intensity, and now each tick brought with it a sharp pain behind his left eye. Tick. Tick. Tick. He rubbed his temple furiously, trying to get it to stop, but it didn't help. Tick. Tick. Tick. Eventually he gave up on rubbing his temples and instead used his flippers to wipe the tears that had formed in his eyes away. Then he squeezed his left eye tightly shut, feeling a brief relief in the pain behind his eye.<p>

Then he looked up, his vision blurred slightly by his watering eyes, and saw the man. He was standing but only a few feet from the red-eyed penguin, his face covered by shadow. His glasses reflected the glow of the Sun and the portal, hiding the eyes that Edgar knew were staring directly into his. The man gently folded his hands behind his back, and rocked forward on his polished shoes.

"How are you here?" Edgar asked himself more than the apparition. "I haven't opened any doors in a while."

The mysterious figure seemed to understand his words, and smirked. He rocked back and forth on his shoes again, and then startled Edgar when he finally spoke. He voice was slow and steady. "The key you seek is not an object. It is as the Sun is; a life energy. One that has been melded and separated from the Sun, and one that exists for no reason but to rejoin with it. Only this energy may enter the portal of which you speak, and only this energy may free the life within."

Edgar choked on his own words for a moment, then spat out a weak, "What?" The man smirked mysteriously again, then rocked back and forth on his heels one last time before he turned and walked away. He rounded the corner out of the antechamber, provoking Edgar to cry, "Wait!" and chase after him. When he got to the hallway, he saw it was empty.

He blinked a few times, causing his twitch—which he hadn't even noticed had disappeared for a moment—to start back up. A chill ran through his body and he wrapped his flippers around himself, a grim scowl garnishing his face.

At that moment Edgar realized something. He had discovered the library. No. He had discovered _his_ library. But all was not so well. He placed a flipper to his temple as the pain reemerged behind his eye, and then glanced up to the Sun. With each tick he saw a small burst of energy from the artifact's mysterious shell, and knew his time in the Temple was now intensely limited.

Tick. Tick. Tick. He didn't have much time left.


	44. A Friend in Need

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 43 – A Friend in Need<strong>

**DMITRI SLAMMED THE DOOR WITH HIS FLIPPERS.**

He had put all of his strength behind the swing, but all it resulted in was a loud thump and a throbbing pain through his battered flippers. He was obviously not going to be able to pound down the door. He rubbed his flippers together to ease the pain, then turned around to look at Irena, who was sitting in the corner looking sadly at the floor.

"You really think you can break down that door? It's meant for humans," she said; a sharp sound of bitterness on her tongue.

Dmitri scowled, crossing his flippers. "I'm just trying to get us out of here."

"You're right, I'm sorry," she offered. "What can we do, though? We're trapped in a closet!"

The disheveled penguin looked around at their new surroundings. Rhonda had roughly tossed them into some sort of utility storage. The small space around the pair was overcrowded with containers of chemicals Dmitri didn't recognize, brooms, mops, buckets, and other tools. The only light source was a flickering light bulb overhead, and dim moonlight through a tiny glass-block window near the ceiling. Dmitri had already clambered up to it to see if it would be a viable escape route, but even if he could find a way to get it open, it was much to small for them to fit through.

Defeated, Dmitri sauntered over to his friend and sat down. He rested his beak on his flippers and stared down the door that was keeping them locked inside. After a moment Irena decided to break the awkward silence that held the air by asking, "Your dad was pretty famous, huh?"

Dmitri looked up towards her and saw her looking at him with exhaustion clear in her features. It had been a long day for both of them. "I guess so," he returned. "He had a lot of enemies, at least."

"Yeah," Irena said, "and now you're on the receiving end of his consequences."

"Consequences? Doesn't that imply he did something... you know, bad?"

"I suppose," Irena answered, nodding. "At least in the eyes of these animals."

"My dad did the right thing," Dmitri affirmed suddenly, sensing Irena's insecurity in the situation. "Whoever Caspian was, he was a terrible penguin, and deserved what he got."

Irena looked towards the ground, then slowly back up. "What are you basing that on? Edgar's story? We don't even know what's the truth anymore, Dmitri. Buck and Geir are making it out to seem that Manfredi was more unstable than Edgar made him out to be." She paused for a moment. "Maybe my dad was right to hold you from him."

Dmitri lowered his brow in frustration. "Or maybe if we'd actually had a chance to talk to him, we could have found out for ourselves."

"He busted my dad's beak, Dmitri. He was crazy, and these new animals we met are just affirming that point. Don't you see?" It was as if Irena was pleading now, her face expressing concern as her flippers latched onto his.

Dmitri couldn't immediately respond. It was true that the entire reason he was locked in this closet was because his father had killed someone who Buck was very close to. Whether it was murder or not, he wasn't sure. But all eh knew was he was now paying for the sins of someone he never even met. Regardless, though, Manfredi had still been his father.

"Maybe you're right," he admitted, "maybe he was insane. But Edgar said it was because Caspian killed my mom and tried to kill me. Even if I don't have anything to back it up, I'm going to stick with the story that makes my father a hero and not a killer."

For the first time, Dmitri saw the Irena's own brow lower and her beak dip into a profuse scowl. She released his flippers and muttered, "You're living in a fantasy."

Before Dmitri could interpret what she had said, audible voices came from outside. Dmitri recognized the low female voice of Rhonda and the lisp of the snake Savio. "Buck's going soft on us," Rhonda insisted, sounding annoyed.

"Buck is not going soft, he's getting smarter," the snake countered. They were right outside the door—Dmitri could hear Rhonda's flippers slapping the concrete with each step—but the door was thick and he had to press his head to the wood to hear them clearly.

"Pfft, if he was getting smarter he would stop toying with Skipper and just let me pound him to a pulp," the walrus said.

"We tried that, remember? If those penguins weren't also toying with us, we would have lost Buck. I think he's smart to allow Clemson to do this stealthily. After all, that is his specialty.

"I don't know," said Rhonda, "never worked out well for me. Hell, maybe you're right, and either way it's Clemson's hide on the line and not ours."

The pair laughed and then fell out of earshot. Dmitri fell back from the door and sat next to Irena again. After he had relayed what had been said, she asked, "Do you think Clemson is going to go capture Skipper?"

Dmitri suddenly perked up at this thought. If Clemson was in fact going to capture Skipper and bring him back, maybe Dmitri would have a chance to talk to him. Skipper was the last remaining teammate of Manfredi's squad, he figured, and would be the most reliable source of information about who his father actually was. After a moment he returned, "I hope so."

* * *

><p>Marlene didn't give chase.<p>

Private had raced out of her drainage pipe home to escape when she turned feral on him. He narrowly dodged a swipe from her claws, but after he was clear of the passageway and over the brick wall, he noticed she had already given up on him. He figured she would have chased him until he found a way to subdue her, given the look in her eyes right before she charged. But Private knew Marlene better than that; even in her feral state, she still had control.

She had exhibited that control in the Antechamber way back in Antarctica. That meant that she had gone feral on him intentionally, and it had been out of defense. Private remembered their conversation and realized just how accusatory he had been, how demanding of her to do something no animal should ever have to do. Nobody should be forced into killing their friend. Nobody except for him, apparently. After all, it only really made sense when your friend's death returned life to billions of humans.

Private waddled towards the lemur habitat, having spent a while wandering around the far side of the zoo from Marlene's habitat to clear his mind. It was then that he realized he was going to just about the last place in the zoo he was still welcome. Now that Marlene, his one close friend through everything that had happened over the last few weeks, was leaving and probably hated him for what he just did, he was no longer welcome in her cave. He already had accepted that he was no longer welcome in his bunk at the penguin headquarters, so that didn't phase him. Now he realized the only place he was welcome was with the lemurs, and the only true friend he had was Julien. Belligerent, self-obsessed, egotistical Julien. Private shook his head. He knew he'd fight side-by-side with the lemur when the time came, but already knew he couldn't trust the ringtail with his secrets. Julien just wouldn't understand them.

The penguin slid through the door to the lemur's enclosure. The air was cool now that the sun had gone down, and he glanced up to see the stars that had begun to emerge in the nighttime sky. With all of the lights in the city gone because of the lack of electricity, there had never been more visible stars over New York. There were only two other times in his life he had seen this many stars in the night sky. The second time was with Skipper and the others on their journey to the Temple of the Sun to subdue Sarge and rescue Kowalski. The first was when he was thrown on a ship after forcibly being taken from his parents.

He had no idea why the people who were behind it took him away. He knew Alice had adopted him for the Central Park Zoo penguin exhibit, but he didn't even know why he had been put up for adoption in the first place. He figured his parents had been released into the wilderness or transferred to a new zoo after their original zoo closed down, but didn't know why he hadn't been allowed to go with them. He was so young at that point; he hardly even remembered the whole ordeal.

The clearest memories he had were staring up at the starry nighttime sky through the bars of his cage on the deck of a giant shipping barge on its way to New York. He had stared up at the stars then, tears streaking over his down feathers, wishing upon a passing shooting star that he would wake up and realize it was all a dream. That maybe he was still sleeping in his nest, safe and sound in his zoo. That maybe he wasn't actually shivering and lonely on the deck of some unknown boat, unsure of where he was going.

He blinked a few times as he felt new tears sting at his eyes, bringing his attention back into reality. His wish had never come true, and he had never woken up warm in his nest with his mother nuzzling his feathers. He glanced up and to his surprise saw another bright streak across the sky; a shooting star. Quickly he closed his eyes and thought of a wish.

It wasn't until his blank mind brought his eyelids back open did he realize that wishes never came true. At least his didn't. There was no going back on what had happened over the last few weeks, even with wishes. The only thing he could do was keep moving forward. There was still hope to get the humans back, and at least he had that. Maybe he no longer had Marlene's support, but that wasn't going to stop him. He was still set in his resolve to sacrifice Kowalski for the human's lives, no matter the cost.

He stopped for a moment as he heard some rustling inside the lemur's alcove. With Marlene no longer able to help him, he was really strapped for allies. There was Julien, but now he needed his prisoner's help more than ever.

He rounded the corner and saw the puffin leaned uncomfortably against a wall, his beak resting on his wing in a bored fashion. His eyes perked up a bit at the sight of Private, but there was nothing more than that. Opposite the alcove was Maurice, snoring away with his handy defensive rock still clutched tightly in his paw. Mort was laying up against his feet, his little whippers barely audible over the larger lemur's snores.

Private stopped and looked at his prisoner, who made eye contact back at him. He looked miserable, that was for sure. It looked like the hurried patch job done on his wing-sling had come undone, and he had to use his free wing to readjust it ever few minutes. His legs were still bound with the rope, and if Private could have inspected it closer he could have sworn it was digging in and drawing blood. The puffin's feathers were ruined and his eyes were ringed with exhaustion.

That was definitely no way to treat an ally, he realized. He briefly made a walk to the lemur's bar where he had stashed his store of fish—which was smelly, but not completely rotten—and grabbed a few of the larger specimens. Then he stopped and filled a bowl with water from the lemur's pool. Private knew Hans had not had anything to eat or drink since before he had rescued him from the storm. The last thing Private grabbed was a crude knife, one that Maurice used to cut fruit.

When Private returned the Puffin almost immediately smiled at the sight and smell of the fish. Private took a minute to stare at his woeful prisoner again before setting the fish and bowl of water just out of his reach and then bringing the knife up. Hans didn't even flinch as he reached down and cut the ropes from the puffin's webbed feet. Private tossed the spent rope aside, not at all surprised that the puffin didn't immediately attack him. The bird was weak from lack of food and exhaustion, and they both knew who would win in a scuffle. Instead, Hans looked at his surroundings for a moment as if surveying them, then wasted no more time and reached for the fish.

He ate greedily as Private watched, not letting the knife leave his flipper. The bird then took a big gulp of water, saving some to wash the fish blood that was dripping down his stubby bill. After he was done he sat down again, this time far more comfortably.

"Thanks," he offered to Private, who nodded. "I suppose you'll be tying me up again now, Mr. Private?" Hans spoke expectantly, and then began fiddling with his wing-brace.

"No," Private returned simply, then tossed the knife to the ground. He knew Hans wouldn't do anything. The simple fact that Maurice was able to hold him off showed that he wasn't a great fighter, or maybe just that he was hindered greatly by his broken wing. Private knew he'd be able to hold off the bird if he _did_ attack. But Private knew he wouldn't. The conversation they had before showed him that Hans knew immediately that Private wasn't working for Skipper. And that made the penguin a potential ally for the bird, and the bird a potential ally for the penguin.

"Why not? Don't you want to keep your prisoner in binds, as to make sure he doesn't escape?"

"You won't go anywhere," Private offered. "Besides, if Skippah caught you roaming around the zoo he'd have you back in chains in three seconds flat."

Hans smiled at this. "Very astute, Mr. Private."

"Look," Private began. "You and I both need something from Skipper. You want him to pay for what happened to your family, and I want his lieutenant in binds. I think if we worked together we'd have a much higher chance of success in either of these ventures."

Hans nodded as if he expected the proposition. "You are quite right." He looked towards his wing and then gingerly touched it. "Though I'm not sure how much help I'll be based on my current predicament."

"Having you as a friend is better than having you as an enemy, any way we string it," Private returned confidently. He made a brief attempt to get comfortable on the cold concrete, then turned away from the puffin. He knew the motion meant he could have that jagged old knife implanted in the back of his skull at any moment, but didn't hear Hans move for the it. Instead the bird shifted in his own place and seemed to find his own comfort.

"Why were you out in that storm anyway, Hans?" Private asked.

The bird shifted a bit, and then said, "I was using it at cover to get to Skipper. Buck never wanted him dead, anyway. I figure he doesn't even remember who I am right now."

Private didn't respond, merely took in the puffin's words. Was there really a level of disloyalty in Buck's ranks? He wasn't sure. "Goodnight, Mr. Private," said Hans before shifting one more time and then falling silent.

Private fell into his thoughts after that, thinking through the events of the day. Just that morning he had witnessed Skipper nearly brutally murder his old rival while the rest of the zoo contemplated abandoning it because of that fact. He had barely even thought about the destruction the storm caused, about how much work there was to be done around the zoo. If the penguin quartet still existed, he was sure they could have it cleaned up within a few days. Now, he was unsure if it would ever reach its former glory. And with most of the animals leaving, that didn't surprise him.

Knowing he would need his sleep, he tried to clear his head. He drifted off slowly but surely as he heard gentle breathing from his new ally.


	45. An Eternal Flame

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 44 – An Eternal Flame<br>**

**PRIVATE FOUND HIMSELF STANDING A FAMILIAR WHITE SPACE.**

When he opened his eyes and the bleached-white surroundings made him squint, he was happy. He was in the Sun again. Finally, after all this time, he was going to be able to understand what Kowalski had to do to bring the people back.

He glanced around, looking at the endless depths in all directions, trying to determine where the Sun might be. He had always used Issac Hull's floating form as a reference point, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Had he just come into the Sun from a great distance? He began waddling a bit, even calling out, "Sun?" Once or twice as though he thought it would help him.

Nothing answered him, and his good spirit faded. Why would the Sun bring him here, but then not be around to tell him anything? Suddenly his foot splashed in some water, and he looked down. Out of seemingly nowhere a thin layer of water had appeared on the ground. He bent down and ran his flipper through it; it was crystal clear, completely still, and icy cold to the touch. His movement created ripples in its surface that seemed to go on and on forever. Confused, he looked around him again and tapped his beak. The water extended around him for as far as he could see, and the only thing that disturbed it were his own ripples.

As they moved off into the distance Private noticed they had begun to grow in size and speed. Within a few moments they were moving away from him lightning quick and had grown to the size of full waves, despite the lack of depth of water. He kicked his foot out curiously and watched the phenomenon again as the ripples he created extended into waves nearly as tall as him before disappearing from his view.

"Sun?" He called out again, but there was no answer. This time, however, there was a strange echo and the water around his feet reverberated with its presence. It sent small droplets up into his face, making him flinch. He rubbed the water out of his eyes, and it wasn't until he opened them again did he see that his voice had caused far more trauma than his feet did.

Headed his way was a tidal wave, likely fifty feet tall and moving fast. He gasped and turned on heel, trying to run from it. But it wasn't any use; the water disappeared from around his webbed feet and then the wave slammed into him, sending him forward so fast it made him reel. Water got up his nose and he instinctively began coughing it out, only to realize he wasn't choking at all. He could breathe just fine in it, so he opened his eyes and watched as he tumbled head over heels forward. Eventually his form broke free of the wave and he crashed to the ground as the wave continued to grow in intensity and speed away from him. He lay in the shallow water for moment, feeling dazed. He didn't call out again or even groan for fear that his voice would incite another destructive wave.

Private got up slowly, now shivering from the briskness of the water, and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again he saw something he didn't expect. Around him were now dozens and dozens of floating human figures. Each had its arms crossed over its chest and its ankles locked together, its eyes closed and face blank. They looked just like Issac had, but he didn't recognize any of these people. He rubbed his eyes again to affirm he wasn't hallucinating. Then there was a bright flash of light from behind him, so he spun around.

When his eyes focused, he saw himself. He squinted to focus, but he was sure it was himself. A small, round penguin with crystal blue eyes and his definitive scar. He touched the side of his face where the scar would be and was astound to see that it wasn't there. In fact his flippers felt more slender than he was used to, and he looked them over. His feathers seemed foreign to him and it wasn't until he inspected his own body that he realized he wasn't in his own body at all. He was taller and skinner, almost like...

"K'walski!" the Private standing across from him cried out, and he was startled. He looked up to his body and saw it waving, greeting him. He waved back, not saying anything as he was afraid to start another tidal wave. He tapped his beak thoughtfully, wondering what he was supposed to be doing. He was playing Kowalski for a reason, but what was it?

He looked up at the Private across from him and saw the chubby bird make his way to a human, sloshing through the water as he took each step. Then the bird placed his flippers on the human, which began to glow intensely bright and then vanished within a second. The chubby bird smiled and then make his way for the next human.

He was supposed to rescue the humans? One by one, sending them back to the real world from their prison? He had thought for sure that Kowalski was supposed to be the one involved with that. He was just the messenger boy, wasn't he? He clenched his flippers; confusion and unrest turned into anger as he thought about what it all could mean.

"K'walski, look out!" The Private form called out, gaining his attention. He looked up and saw the small bird with an intense look of fear on his face, pointing to something above and behind him. He turned as the Private form bolted away screaming. What he saw took his breath away.

A wall was moving towards him, but not just any wall. This wall was made entirely out of flame, stretching from the ground to as high up as he could see. It was approaching him fast, and he could already feel the warmth from it. The water around his webbed feet was beginning to boil, though he couldn't feel it any longer. His heart accelerated as he thought of what to do.

Running wouldn't help, it was moving far too fast. And would it matter? He was in a dream anyway. But _what did it mean_? The heat from the flame wall was becoming unbearable now; he needed to stop it somehow so that he could understand what was going on. He looked up and saw it move closer, engulfing the floating human forms that it passed.

"K'walski, do something!" The Private form called from behind him. He turned and saw it was curled up in the water, pressing its flippers to its ears as though they were going to explode. "Please, stop it!"

Then it hit him: the water! He turned back around and shouted at the top of his lungs until he had to stop to take a breath. It worked, though; the water around him had vanished and to his side he saw a wave twice the size as the one he had generated before careening for the wall. It crashed into the flame and sizzled intensely. The wall seemed to slow down, maybe even move back a bit, but it didn't stop.

He took a deep breath and let another scream loose, clenching his eyes shut and straining to make it as loud as possible. It pushed the flame back further, but when he went to take a breath after he expelled his air he found his lungs didn't respond. He choked with the sudden realization that he couldn't breath and fell to his knees, gasping and sputtering. His body screamed at him for oxygen, but his lungs wouldn't respond. His vision started to go cloudy and he fell forward before he was finally able to take another breath. He dipped just below the surface of the water and only then could he breathe; the water was now his oxygen!

Renewed, he inhaled as much as he could and stood again before bellowing with all of his might. The wave he generated was so large he couldn't see the peak of it, and it bashed the flame wall with enough force to annihilate it entirely. Left it its place was nothing but a thick screen of steam, the result of the two forces colliding.

He fell to the ground again, reaching for the life-giving water that he realized he could only breathe now. But when he hit the ground, there was none. The surface was again solid and dry, and he choked like a fish out of water as he futility tried to inhale the air that was now like a toxin around him. His vision began to fade, and just before he blacked out, he saw his own face. The Private form had walked up to him, and was smiling.

"Thank you," it said.

He was flying then, as though he was leaving the dream. A voice spoke to him, one he recognized. It was the Sun. "You are the messenger, Private," it said, "the one to bring the good news to everyone. You will rescue the people before the purge. But to do so, you must rely on Kowalski to protect you. He is your guardian, Private."

* * *

><p>"Why?" He shouted, sitting bolt upright. His vision was blurry but he could tell he was awake again, sitting up inside the lemur's habitat. Maurice and Mort materialized before him, looking concerned. Private rubbed his eyes and then looked over at where Hans was supposed to be, and found him missing.<p>

"Are you okay, Private?" Maurice asked. "We were trying to wake you up for over ten minutes! You were screaming your head off. I'm surprised you didn't wake up the whole zoo!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the penguin responded. "Just a... a dream. Where's Hans?"

"Hans?" Maurice asked, confused. "He's been gone since I woke up. But why do you care right now? Are you sure you're not dehydrated or something?"

"Damn! Where did he go?" Private shouted, now realizing just how fast his heart was beating. His scar throbbed dully, and he stood up.

"We're lucky he didn't kill us!" Maurice returned heatedly. Private noticed he had the fruit knife in his paw as though he had been defending it.

"There's nothing wrong with Hans!" Private insisted, throwing his flippers up. "Except that he's gone and run off."

Maurice looked like he was about to respond, but a noise from the entrance of the alcove drew their attention. Maurice gasped and Private sighed with relief. The bird of question was standing in the door way, looking worried.

"Mr. Private," he greeted, sounding worried, "you must come quickly!"

"What's wrong?"

"No time," the puffin insisted, "just follow me and be quiet."

Private took his new ally's advice and followed the bird after signaling the uneasy Maurice and Mort to follow silently. Hans took them to the other side of the enclosure, stopping when he reached a bush. Private heard shuffling from the other side of the plant, and grew worried. Hans held out his good wing, pointing to the bush and then extending two feathers to indicate there were two hostiles on the other side. Private clenched his flippers. Who could be on the other side of the bush? It must have been some of the Hoboken animals.

The penguin turned to Maurice, who was holding his fruit knife close to his chest and scowling. Private nodded towards him and he nodded back, indicating he was ready. Private gestured to the right side of the bush, then took his position near the left. He used a flipper to indicate Hans should stay back; his wing was in no shape for a fight. Maurice whispered something to Mort, who nodded, and then took his position by the bush.

Private mouthed, "Three, two, one," and they charged through the bush. When they emerged on the other side, Private saw what all the commotion was about. Before him was the auburn Hoboken lemur, Clemson. To his side was the boa Savio, who upon noticing them hissed and shot up into a defensive stance. Clemson turned around and glared at the penguin, revealing the whole reason they were there.

Behind them was Julien. He was bound, gagged, and looked terrified. Clemson smiled and signaled Savio to pick up the ring-tailed lemur with his muscular body. Private jumped into action then, realizing what they were trying to do. He couldn't let them kidnap Julien! Clemson wanted him dead.

"Get to the perimeter," Clemson instructed to Savio who now had the lemur king in his grasp. "I'll hold these guys off."

Savio nodded, then leaned down to the terrified lemur and flicked his tongue a few times, making Julien squirm. Clemson had focused on Private again, who was beginning to devise a strategy. He saw a tree near the boa that he could use to springboard off of and land on top of the massive snake, but he was unsure if that would even be enough to stop it. He had to at least try though, as the snake was now leaving with his friend and ally.

Clemson took a defensive stance towards Private, and it was then that Private noticed he wasn't even going to stop Maurice, who was running after the Boa, shouting for his king. The boa didn't slow down, and when Maurice got close enough he drove the knife down into the end of the snake's take, pinning it to the dirt. Savio howled in pain as he dropped Julien and turned around, now focused on the wide lemur who took a few steps back, fearful of the enraged snake.

Clemson slapped his head in disbelief of his teammate's mistake and then moved for Maurice. Private jumped into action, knowing he had to buy some time for the aye-aye to get Julien out of the snake's reach. Clemson was ready for him when he directed a chop for the back of the auburn lemur's head, and he was blocked with ease before the lemur went to counter him in the gut. Private expected this and blocked it, but the hit was forceful and sent him skidding backward.

Dazed for a moment, Private left himself open for a roundhouse kick to the face, sending searing pain through it. He hit the dirt hard and had trouble determining which way was up for a few seconds, but when he finally got back onto his feet he saw that Clemson hadn't come after him any more and was now punching Maurice repeatedly. The wide lemur tried to shield his face but his lack of combat training was apparent and he received several blows to his gut before he gasped with pain and dipped forward, just to receive a knee to the chin. The lemur fell down, groaning.

Clemson smiled towards Private as Savio managed to wriggle his tail free again. Some blood was trickling from where the knife had been implanted, but he didn't look disabled by it. The snake stopped for a moment and looked back at his teammate before the auburn lemur turned to leave.

"Can't you knock that bird out or something so I can eat him?" Savio told his teammate and Private gritted his beak.

Clemson chuckled and shook his head, waving his hand for them to go. Private couldn't let them escape! He charged but Clemson's acute hearing picked up on his footsteps and after his ears perked up, he stopped Private's balled flipper without even turning around. Private wasted no time and cried out as he tried to chop the lemur's gut with all of his force, but the lemur was agile and dodged the blow so that Private stumbled. A quick sweep kick got the best of him and he toppled.

Clemson chuckled again, then said, "Best for you to stay down. Our quarrel is not with you."

Private slammed the ground with his fist, looking up one last time as the pair of animals made off with his teammate and friend. Julien looked terrified as they made eye contact, and Private heard him call out as he realized the penguin was powerless to rescue him. Private cursed himself, clenching dirt in his flipper.

"Are you alright, Mr. Private?" It was Hans. He looked up and accepted the outstretched wing of his comrade, bringing himself to his feet.

He brushed off his feathers and responded, "I'm fine. Julien isn't."

Hans nodded. "I am sorry I could not be of more assistance," he said, "but I presume Clemson will be taking the lemur back to Mr. Rockgut's base. I can show you how to get there."

Private nodded solemnly, then looked at his flippers. He had felt so sluggish during the scuffle; so weak. He could tell Clemson was a very able fighter, but he had trained hard for two years. He didn't feel this weak in the antechamber, so why now? Was it just because he had just woken up after having that strange dream?

Wait a minute, he thought, the dream! He knew what Kowalski was supposed to do! He was supposed to fight off a wall of flame by raising tidal waves with his voice, and then die because he could no longer breath oxygen! Private crossed his flippers and lowered his brow. What a _completely useless_ dream.

"We'll go get him then," Private affirmed. "Before they do too much to him."

"I suggest we take a few hours to recharge," Maurice said from behind Private. The penguin turned to see the wide aye-aye rubbing his jaw and blinking as though he was clearing his vision. "Aw man, I think that asshole chipped a tooth."

"Wait, you think we should wait?" Private asked. "We should go now, before they have a chance to make it back to their HQ. We could ambush them."

Maurice shook his head. We need to think this out. It's three of us—and well, Mort—against all of them." He pointed to the sky, which had taken on an early morning gray. "And it's almost light outside. That's a recipe for disaster. We need to get the other penguin's help and move under the cover of night." He paused for a moment, looked at Hans, and then back at Private. "Is he cool now, or something?"

"He's a friend," Private insisted, and Hans used his good wing to salute the lemur, who nodded in return. Maurice must have noticed how Hans didn't call out to his former teammates for rescue. Private was reassured by it, too; Hans really was on their side. "We can't tell Skipper about this, though."

Maurice looked frustrated. "Why not? You can't think you're going to do it alone!"

Private nodded. "Hans will lead me to the enemy HQ, and I'll get Julien back for us. Skippah can't know about this, _alright_?" The penguin stressed the last word to show Maurice he wasn't playing around.

Maurice grumbled, crossing his arms. Suddenly, then, Hans jumped into the nearby bush. Just as Private was about to ask him why he'd done that, the penguin in question came into the clearing from behind a tropical plant. Skipper's brow was lowered in suspicion, and his flippers were up in a defensive stance. Rico and Kowalski tailed him closely, covering the group on all sides. When Skipper saw the pair of them, he relaxed a bit.

"What's all the screaming about?" He asked.

Before Private could stop him, Mort broke into the clearing and cried, "King Julien's been kidnapped!"

The penguin glared at Maurice, who shrugged and smiled defiantly. "Ringtail?" Skipper asked. "By who? Did you see the suspect?"

"It was Clemson and another of Buck's baddies—that snake guy," Maurice explained.

"Fish and chips!" Skipper shouted. "Which way did they go?"

Private decided to speak up. He realized that he needed Julien's help, no matter what. Even if his enemy rescued his ally, it still meant his ally was rescued, and that was all that really mattered right now. "You'll never catch them," he said.

Skipper arched a brow at his ex-teammate. "Why's that?"

"They're fast, and who knows what route they're taking to their headquarters," the small penguin explained.

"Wait, how do you know if they have an HQ?"

"I've been spying on them for a little while," Private lied, thinking of protecting Hans' identity for the time being. "I know exactly where they're hiding out."

"Alright, you've got lead on this one, Private."

The leader penguin turned to leave at that point, gesturing to his ex-comrade that he wanted him to follow. Private was a bit confused; was Skipper offering to work together on the rescue? Private figured he'd want to do it alone, or maybe with his information but definitely not with his help. In his wondering Private's eyes fell on the tall intellectual, whose face was blank but expressed a similar level of curiosity. Rico was by the tall bird's side and openly expressed his happiness with the situation; it seemed that even though Julien was in danger he was just happy that Private might work with the team again.

The two penguins turned to follow Skipper and Private took but a minute to look at Maurice and Hans, who had peeked out from behind the bush. The lemur looked determined and moved to follow him, while the bird nodded at him solemnly. Private nodded back, communicating that even through this sudden need to work together with the flat-headed bird, their agreement would still be upheld.


	46. A Plan is Formed

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 45 – A Plan is Formed<strong>

**PRIVATE FOUND HIMSELF STARING AT THE BACK OF KOWALSKI'S HEAD.**

The whole way back to the penguin headquarters, Private kept his distance from Skipper and the others. He played it off as though he was just diligently following them, but truthfully he just wanted to put some space between himself and Skipper and Kowalski's conversation about Julien and the animals from Hoboken. Instead of listening he just stared at the back of Kowalski's head, averting his eyes every so slightly each time the intellectual turned his head to talk to his superior, trying to rationalize what he had been told in his most recent dream.

"_...you must rely on Kowalski to protect you. He is your guardian, Private."_

With all the commotion about Julien he hadn't had a chance to take in what he had heard. For a moment he wondered if what he had seen within his dream was a truly prophetic; but then he remembered he had wondered the same thing before the mass absorption. Whatever the Sun told him in the dream was the truth, and he needed to account for it. Kowalski was supposed to protect him from something, but what? And why didn't the Sun just let him know that from the beginning? This whole time Private had been distancing himself from his former teammate, just to now realize it had been all for naught?

The round bird massaged his temples as he felt the dull throb behind his scar again. Everything was going too fast for him now. The more he searched for answers, the more confused he became. As soon as he thought he knew what to do, something or someone threw a wrench in the gears. He thought he had to kill Kowalski, and thought he had Julien's help; now neither of those things were true.

The group reached the edge of the penguin enclosure and vaulted over the fence. Private looked around before he followed and noticed Officer X and Mr. Green by the big red van, setting some items on a table. He noted how drawn back they had been since the whole event with the Hoboken animals at the zoo entrance, not really getting involved in any of the penguin's business. It probably helped that Skipper and the team had destroyed X's equipment, but Private could only assume something else was going on. Something bigger. After all, Skipper and Kowalski had stolen X's weapon and modified it, yet the dark man wasn't vengeful. Private could tell he had a lot else on his mind, as did Mr. Green. The wide businessman still looked after the animals and their pens, but seemed completely unaware that the animals were getting ready to run off.

"Are you coming, Private?" He heard Skipper call from the ice floe. Blinking and shaking his head slightly to clear it—he needed to focus on rescuing Julien—he nodded. It was simple work to go up and over the fence and down the fish-bowl hatch.

In the headquarters Skipper had already set up the penguins' folding card table and Kowalski was spreading a map of the city over it. Maurice was leaning against the wall near the port-hole window, and Rico was standing near him, looking a bit exaughsted. Private gave him a glance and his smile appeared, doing little to hide his tired eyes. The round penguin nodded slightly, more of a greeting than anything else. Rico's smile faded as Skipper began speaking.

"Alright. Julien's been taken hostage. Kowalski, lay out what that means."

"The Hoboken animals are not likely to harm Julien," the intellectual explained, now holding his clipboard and looking over the pages, "at least not immediately. They know they've got leverage now, and though that means that Julien is likely fine for the time being, it's only a matter of time before he's subject to torture."

"So we go in there and get him before then," Maurice offered from the wall.

"Things aren't that easy," Skipper responded. "We hardly know where they are taking Julien. Even though we know where their headquarters is, we don't know if they'll be keeping him in there. We also don't know if they're just trying to use him as bait. This could be one huge trap."

"Likely to be the case," Kowalski affirmed.

"According to Private's intel," the flat-headed leader said, now pointing to a spot on the map, "the headquarters is an abandoned grocery store at the intersection of Fourteenth and Wells. That's correct, right Private?"

Private nodded in agreement, juxtaposing his leader's statement with what Hans had whispered to him from his hiding place before he had followed the rest of the group out of the lemur enclosure. He then glanced over at Maurice who nodded solemnly, indicating that he would respect their agreement to keep Hans anonymous.

"Good," responded the flat-headed leader. Kowalski, what do we know about the area?"

The tall scientist tapped his clipboard a few times before responding. "It was a rough area of town before the city was abandoned." Private noticed the intellectual's eyes distinctly flick toward Maurice in a skeptical manner as he said _abandoned_. "There's likely to be many narrow alleyways capable of being booby-trapped, many hide-outs that would easily keep Julien concealed, and our opposition likely knows the area better than we do."

"So that's what's working against us," Maurice said, "tell us what kind of advantages we have."

Kowalski nodded. "If I remember correctly from our adventures in that area of town with Max the moon cat, all buildings were required to have rooftop access upon their erection. That means we'll have a likely undetectable and unsecured entryway."

"Excellent," said Skipper. "We should do some preliminary recon this morning to see exactly what kind of weak points their little _fortress_ has."

"Er, Skipper," Kowalski piped up suddenly, causing him to once more gain the attention of the animals in the room. "We may have one more possible advantage; one that will allow us to rescue Julien without much trouble."

"What's that?" The leader asked, arching a brow.

"Officer X."

Private was as equally surprised as Skipper for that suggestion. Rico seemed even more shocked, as he started blabbering out intelligible words. After a moment he stopped but held a concerned expression. Maurice looked as though he was considering the proposition, though he didn't move from the wall or speak.

"Absolutely not!" Skipper was quick to answer. "I can't believe you'd even suggest such a thing."

"Think it of it as more of a recommendation than just a suggestion," Kowalski said.

"_Why?_" Rico blabbered. "_He waddah kill you!_"

"Officer X has no such intention," Kowalski countered, his brow lowering defensively. "If he did he would have eliminated me a long time ago." He turned to Skipper. "You, too, know that our little sabotage charade wasn't even remotely close to enough to stopping him, and it worked. Surely you must have grown a little suspicious?"

Skipper's flippers were crossed, his eyes narrowed at his lieutenant. "Our _sabotage_ worked wonders, solider. We disarmed him and neutralized his ability to track us."

"He's been within eyesight of us for almost two weeks" Kowalski returned defiantly, "he could have killed any one of us just by throwing a rock hard enough if he wanted to." The tall bird's expression changed, and Private noticed a distinct look of sorrow. Silence enveloped the room for a minute. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "About a week ago, he had the perfect opportunity to kill me. I was alone, cornered, and he had his machine gun. He pulled the trigger and shot, but the bullet missed. Then he lowered his rifle and allowed me to escape. If he wanted me dead, I'd be dead."

Skipper looked skeptical. "If he's all buddy-buddy with you now, why didn't you tell us? And why were you so scared of him in the beginning?"

"I had a reason to be scared!" Kowalski said, now heated. "He murdered nearly all of my friends at the facility, but he's changed now. It's like he's come to terms with the sins of his past; though he may not have paid for them yet."

Skipper tapped his beak thoughtfully for a moment before pausing and saying, "Fair enough, but you didn't answer the first part of my question."

"Huh?"

"Why didn't you tell us he wasn't after you any more? When did that close encounter happen?

Kowalski suddenly looked down at his clipboard again, flipping through pages Private now saw were blank. "I was out scouting for supplies during free hour," he said. Private detected the lie, but Skipper seemed to buy it, nodding blankly.

Private had seen Kowalski run off with that Emilio Blowhole character on more than one occasion, but it became apparent to him that Skipper had neither condoned or even been aware of the whole occasion. What the scientists were doing together was a mystery to the round penguin, but he knew the encounter with Officer X must have occurred on one of his outings. With what the Sun told him the previous night, he now found himself happy Officer X never intended to kill Kowalski. Even if it was one of the catalysts leading to his discharge. He decided to keep this knowledge to himself; after all, it wouldn't help Julien in any way.

"My suggestion is that we request the help of Officer X somehow. He's got connections to Andrew Green, the man who has been caring for the animals in the wake of the city's abandonment. Green, in turn, has connections to the animals. If we can somehow bring Julien's abduction to Green's attention, he's likely to request X's help in the rescue." The instructions rolled of Kowalski's tongue much more confidently than the lie he spoke previously, but Skipper only offered the same subtle, gentle nod.

"I think it's a good idea," Maurice said. He was now playing with his chipped tooth which now appeared to be loose. "Clemson's got a helluva roundhouse."

"I agree," Private said. "They've also got that snake and that walrus. Even our best fighting couldn't scratch them."

"Emilio Blowhole is a past friend of mine, and I know he is very intelligent. Buck Rockgut is likely to use his abilities to set some traps for us," added Kowalski.

"_Waddah get Julien help!_" Rico urged.

All eyes were on Skipper now as he contemplated his lieutenant's recommendation. Briefly he looked over the map, as if he was contemplating the location of the enemy HQ and if there were any better strategies. Private lowered his brow at his leader's delay; he knew that every animal in the room knew they'd be best off requesting the help of the other animals in the zoo instead of Officer X. And Skipper would never do that. Kowalski and Rico seemed to be respecting that fact, so he, too refrained from blurting it out. This might be his only chance to get to Kowalski, he realized, and he didn't want to ruin it.

Before Skipper could offer his response, there was a commotion at the fishbowl entrance, and a brown figure dropped down into the headquarters. It was Marlene, and she looked tired. She took a brief glance around the room as the others stayed in silence. Private recalled the times she would have dropped in on them in the past and how mad Skipper would become. Those times were long gone.

"State your business," was now all he offered.

Marlene wasn't appeased by this greeting. Her frown was apparent as she returned, "I wanted to let you know that the other animals and I are going to be leaving the zoo the day after tomorrow. Joey and Roy didn't want you to know, but I figured you had a right to."

"What?" Skipper exclaimed. "Why would they do that?"

"Are you kidding me?" Marlene didn't seem like she was in the mood for Skipper's interrogation. "There's almost no food left, and even though that one guy is keeping our pens clean, we want to go find another zoo where there might actually still be humans. You said yourself that the humans just abandoned this city, right? They're likely to be many more zoos out there." As Marlene finished her explanation, she glanced at Private, who nodded to her lie about the abandonment and not knowing about the absorption.

For the first time, he realized just how many lies were revolving around the room, and not all of them were being held by him. Kowalski had lies, Marlene had lies, Skipper had lies. He wouldn't be surprised to hear if even Rico had been lying about something. The only animal that seemed to be clean was Maurice, and that was just because he was subject to all the lies.

"Right," Skipper returned slowly, accepting Marlene's explanation. "I knew this day would come, I just hoped it wouldn't arrive so soon." He turned to the otter. "Go tell the animals, especially Joey and Roy, to gather at the Zoovineer. I want to have a word with them."

Marlene nodded, then looked at the map on the table. With another glance around the room—Private was sure her eyes lingered on him a little too long—she said, "What's going on here, anyway?"  
>Private looked to Skipper to fabricate some kind of lie as he was sure the leader penguin didn't want Marlene to know about Julien's kidnapping. She was likely to go ballistic and try to rescue the lemur on her own, which would result in either her death, Julien's death, or both of their deaths. The round penguin was surprised, however, when Skipper's cold stare met his own. His brow lowered ever so slightly, and he realized he was the one who had to deliver the lie.<p>

He turned back to the otter and paused for a moment, realizing that she was his friend. She was the one who had been their for him when he broke down upon receiving his discharge and she was the one who had supported him throughout his confusion with the Sun's prophesy. She was the first one he had confided his dark intentions in, and as far as he knew, she still believed Private had to kill Kowalski. He was still struggling with that, but she believed it as truth. Could he really lie to her about the animal who was closest to her?

It had to happen. Julien was key in the whole plan to rescue the humans, and Marlene could botch it all up. If he lost Julien he lost the one ally he had who was familiar with the Sun and it's capabilities. Julien had to be rescued, no matter the cost.

"We're just plotting the repair job on the zoo," he offered, forcing his face to remain blank and his flippers to remain calm. Deep inside he felt the need to scream out the truth, that her love was in danger of being seriously harmed or killed, but he retained that need. For a moment Marlene didn't respond, and he became worried that she wouldn't believe him. He added, "You know, because of the damage from the hurricane."

"Alright," she returned, and Private let out a silent sigh of relief. Then she turned to Skipper and said, "I'll have the animals gathered in thirty minutes. See you then."

Skipper waved to the mammal and she clambered out of the HQ. The other animals remained silent until they heard the fishbowl lid close, and then Kowalski asked, "So what will it be, Skipper?" referencing the Officer X dilemma.

Skipper put his flippers on the table and looked at the others seriously. "Buck and I were trained under the same regime, and that was that we never take a prisoner of war by abduction. We either pound down the door directly or force the enemy to turn the prisoner in question over to us. That was one of Fishslader's most reinforced duties to us. Something about how it sends a clearer message to the enemy that war is not a game. It seems that Buck isn't playing by the rules any longer, and that he's picked up a few tricks from Clemson.

"Looks like that means that we'll be breaking the rules a bit, too."

* * *

><p>"So this is everything we have?" Andrew asked, looking over the things X had spread on the table before them. He had went through his entire van and also searched around the zoo for useful weapons and defensive measures; anything that could protect them in the coming days. At least until that tall penguin showed some emotional stability, and then they could get the hell out of there.<p>

X grabbed a penguin monitor from the table, where Andrew had set down the two he possessed. Each showed a different view of the same room where a map was spread out on the table. The flat-headed leader was giving some instructions, or something like that. X still didn't get penguin communication.

"Yup this is it," X returned, looking over the monitor. It looked like the tall penguin was drawing some streets and pathways on his clipboard; it seemed that the penguins were planning something. That was the least of his worries right now. He put the monitor back down and looked over the supplies.

Inside the van he had found a Kevlar body vest; enough to stop a few handgun rounds but not enough to stop a fifty-caliber shot from his sniper-rifle. It was designed to fit around his wide frame but could be adjusted to fit on Andrew due to his stoutness. There was also a riot shield leaned up against the side of the table and a helmet with a visor; the kind of things X kept around just in case he was called in for crowd control.

Next to the vest was his handgun, which Andrew had lain out. It had plenty of ammunition—he always kept a crate of extra bullets in the van—but it was only one gun. He wasn't keen on keeping weapons in the van, just in case someone managed to get inside. He always trusted his own sidearm and whatever primary he chose for any particular mission. The handgun may have been their only working personal weapon, but the van also had a forward-mounted machine gun with a couple hundred shots. He couldn't carry it, but having the van in the right position was going to be key to defending the zoo.

Next the handgun was a collection of grenades. Most of them were tear gas or flashbang variations. He was always more prone to caring crowd-control tools rather than fatal weapons. However he had grabbed a few anti-personnel mines and a couple of fragmentation grenades. Invaluable in a situation like this, and he was glad he grabbed them.

Beside the grenades were a collection of gardening and zookeeper tools, ranging from rakes to a small hatchet. A variety of blunt weapons for hacking, slashing, and bludgeoning if it came down to that, he figured. If nothing else, it would be useful to have them to secure some kind of barricade.

If it did come down to a barricade, he had a coil of barbed wire and a special battery to charge it if need be. It would be enough to stop any normal man, but he wasn't so confident it would hold back the enraged convicts.

The last thing on the end of the table was a full paramedic kit full of a variety of antiseptics, bandages, pain relievers, and emergency surgical sets. That one had been the government's recommendation, and he was glad he conformed. He had already made good use of it getting the ricocheted bullet out of his leg and patching up the hole. It still stung a bit, but felt good enough to stand on.

Beside the table was a crate of munitions. It had been all that Andrew had been able to salvage without going too far from the zoo. Mostly just a collection of canned vegetables, packaged food from smashed vending machines, and twelve-packs of various sodas he hated. It wasn't much, but would get them through the coming weeks without much worry of rationing out the food.

"I wish we had another weapon," Andrew commented, looking over the goods. "One handgun isn't going to get us far."

"I can try to fix whatever your birds did to my sub-machine gun," X returned, "but there's no guarantee I can get it working in time for it to be useful. Until then we've only got that handgun and the mounted gun on my van."

Andrew nodded and then pushed the weapon towards him. "You should take it then. You're a much better shot than me."

"Th—yeah," X caught himself from saying _thanks_, unsure of what got into him. "I still ain't confident you'd actually shoot someone, anyway."

Andrew waved his hand dismissively. "I could have shot that bastard with the rifle if I got a clear shot. Anyway, I think we should start by securing all entrances to the zoo. Our greatest strength right now is the wall. It's been broken in a few places, but we could board it up.

X nodded. The idea of more manual labor didn't even phase him. Then he dug on his toolbelt and grabbed his extra bottle of pepper spray before passing it to the wide man, who took it gratefully. "It won't work on Sigmund, the one with white eyes," he explained, "but the others should at least be dazed by it. And take that vest."  
>Andrew put the pepper spray into his jacket pocket and grabbed the vest. "Are you sure?"<p>

"Yeah. It makes me chafe anyway," X returned sarcastically.

Andrew took off his jacket and then began securing the Kevlar over his ruined dress shirt. "Thanks."

X responded with a curt nod and then looked up towards the sky. "It's still early. If we work fast we might be able to secure the wall before sundown." He looked back at Andrew, then unclasped an emergency flare from his belt. He always kept a few on him. If he didn't need to get someone's attention, he could always shoot it into someone's face. "If you see anything suspicious, shoot this straight up. I'll come running."

"Thanks," Andrew said again, taking the flare. There was a brief pause between the two men as X organized the various grenades and tools. He clipped a few of the grenades to his belt and then began putting the rest of the supplies back into the van to be locked up.

"You're a good man, Alexander," Andrew offered then, suddenly. "For doing all this, I mean."

X paused, then scoffed, "Pfft. What does it matter? I've done worse things than you could ever imagine."

"But now you're making it right," Andrew countered. X looked up to his stout friend and saw him smiling. He reached up and placed a grimy hand on X's shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. Then he grabbed a package of nails and a hammer from the nearby tool chest and headed toward a ruined section of wall.

X was confused for a moment. How could he make _anything_ he did in his life right? What was that businessman talking about? And why the _hell_ did he use his full name again? He smiled to himself, shaking his head slightly as he went back to organizing the items inside the van. They had a long day ahead of them.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>Things are finally beginning to go somewhere :). I've finished planning out the rest of the story and I'm really happy about how the ending will turn out... but you'll just have to wait and see what it is!

On a different note, this story is very nearly one year old! I can't believe it's been more than a year since I finished writing _The Speed of Darkness_, and nearly a year since I began The Power of Silence. I had hoped to be done by now, but it has been a very on-and-off year for me (with getting married, and everything) but now I hope to come full-force back into writing and have this book finished as soon as possible. We've still got about 50,000 words to go, though, so there will be plenty more action to be had :)

A big thank you to everyone who continues to return to this story chapter after chapter to read; it really makes me smile to know people are appreciating my work. Please continue reading as we come closer and closer to the finale of _The Power of Silence_.


	47. A Misguided Purpose

****~Author's Note:** **Here's the actual chapter 46. For all those who didn't catch it, there was a joke April Fool's chapter uploaded in place of this one for a short while. If you would like to read it, you can find it on my DeviantArt. Just search "Cudabear" or follow the link on my webpage which is linked in my profile.

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><p><strong>The Power of Silence<br>Chapter 46 – A Misunderstood Purpose**

**"****I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A FISH BEHIND YOUR BACK, DMITRI."**

Melanda said it the minute she walked in the door to their little ice home, her motherly sixth sense that allowed her to know everything he was doing showing. Startled and scared, the young penguin pushed the half-eaten fish further behind his back and then showed his mother his free flipper to attempt to prove his innocence. His heart dropped when he saw it was covered in incriminating fish guts, and he drooped his head. When his mother waddled over to him, he gave her the carcass without putting up a fight.

"Banar mentioned he'd seen you over by the fish reserves," his mother said, inspecting the fish.

"I didn't take it from there," insisted the small bird, trying to look innocent.

"Oh? Then where did you get it?" Melanda asked.

"I, uh... caught it," Dmitri lied, and then smiled.

His mother didn't buy it. Returning his smile, she leaned down to him and pinched his cheek, smearing his down feathers with fish blood. He giggled and she said, "Something tells me my little munchkin is a little too small to be catching fish on his own. So, where did you get the fish, Dmitri?"  
>The little penguin folded his flippers behind his back and looked towards the ground. "I took it from the fish pile."<p>

"Mmm, I thought so," his mother returned, using that tone that all mothers use when they get just the answer they are expecting. "Do you know why you're not supposed to take fish from the pile?"

"Because if I do, my friends might not get to eat," Dmitri responded quickly.

"Right," Melanda said, smiling. "We all work together as a colony, as one big team, to help each other whenever possible, remember?"  
>"Yeah."<p>

"That means whenever one of us catches a fish, we don't take it for ourselves. We share it with our friends, so that everyone has a bite to eat."

"And that fish is my bite to eat," Dmitri insisted, nodding wildly.

"Not quite," his mother corrected. "You already ate your fish earlier today. This fish was extra bites that a little penguin like you doesn't really need." His mother had set the fish down on the counter and wiped her flippers off. She leaned down and picked him up, holding him close to her face. He looked up into her purple eyes, ashamed. "And because you ate it, it means one of our friends could go hungry."

Dmitri shuffled uncomfortably. "Did one of our friends go hungry because I ate the fish?" He asked.

"Thankfully, no," his mother returned, and he smiled. "We have been very fortunate, and we currently have more than enough fish to go around." She wiped the guts off his flippers and face before pecking him on the cheek and setting him on the counter.

Dmitri giggled and asked, "Does that mean I'm not in trouble?"  
>"Not so fast, little penguin. The city is still short one fish. How are we going to make up for it?"<p>

Dmitri looked thoughtfully into his mothers eyes for a moment, reading into her words. "Apologize?"

"Well, it's a step in the right direction," Melanda said, then poked him in the tummy, "and yes, we need to apologize for stealing. But now that we've eaten this fish, our neighbor is going hungry. How do we feed him?"

Dmitri looked at his mother with curiosity, wondering what she meant. He ate the fish, doesn't that mean his friend wasn't going to be able to eat? What could he do to fix that, except for giving his friend his next fish? Then, it struck him.

"C'mon, little one," his mother said, pulling him off the counter and setting him on the ground. "First you should apologize to the chieftain. Then we can look into replacing that fish you stole."

He waddled out of the ice home with his mother then, the invaluable lesson sticking with him. A fish stolen from the city is a fish stolen from the mouth of your neighbor. A fish stolen from the city is a fish that must be replaced, even if it means sacrificing one's own rightfully acquired fish. The city works as one giant living, breathing organism, and as long as everyone works together, it cannot falter. 

* * *

><p>Dmitri sat on the top of one of the shelves in the closet, looking out the glass-block window that was their only source of light. The sun had begun to come up now, golden strands distorted by the translucence of the glass blocks coating him. There hadn't been much commotion outside since he heard Rhonda and Savio talking, so he was left mostly to his own thoughts, something that he realized he had much time for since leaving Antarctica. And the more he thought, the more confused he grew.<p>

He had been raised his whole life with the understanding that the Penguin City and the emperor society was something bigger than him, that his entire existence was only to help the emperors when they were in need; fish food for the colony, and protect it when required. Melanda had always told him that. He believed it then, and he still did now. It sounded correct in his mind, but when he remembered what happened on the first day the hunters came barreling down upon them with their sleep-bringing darts, nothing made sense.

Why was he the only one who charged into the fray with the intention of saving the others? Why did everyone else go and hide? He had almost died doing exactly what he was told the entire colony needed to do. Maybe it was because the emperors realized the hunters were something bigger than even themselves, he wondered. The hunters did, after all, have those sleep-bringing darts and could probably have knocked out or killed every single emperor without even receiving a scratch, but even then fighting was better than just surrendering. They had to at least try to defend the colony, so why did everyone run?

Dmitri looked down at Irena, who was playing with a few small bottles of chemicals she had grabbed off the shelves. She studied the label of one clear bottle and then popped the cap off to smell what was inside. Arching her brow in surprise, she snapped the lid back on. Whatever was inside must have smelled putrid, Dmitri figured.

He thought about the emperor herself, and how loyal she was to her father and to the city. He hadn't seen her at his coming of age ceremony and before that he hadn't ever shared more than a few passing words with her, but he wish he had. She showed a loyalty like Banar would have been proud of, had he been around to see it. She jumped in to save the Penguin City when nobody else would, and she only had the help from one lousy penguin who didn't even know who he was.

Suddenly, the penguin's eyes perked up as he came to a realization. Irena was fiercely loyal to the Penguin City, the emperors, and her father. But even through all the trouble it was to track him down as he stormed away from the city, to follow him halfway across the globe to this foreign land, and to be locked up in a closet because of a conflict his father started, she was still with him. She had been frustrated with him, yes, but she stuck with him anyway.

The penguin decided it was time for a talk. He hadn't talked to the female much since they had been locked up, and he figured now was as good of a time as any. He clambered down the shelves, attracting Irena's attention as he accidently knocked some things off of them. When he was down at the bottom, he sat next to her.

"What's in those bottles?" He asked as she grabbed another one of the containers.

She popped the lid off and took another smell. This one didn't seem to bother her as much, and she shrugged. "Edgar made it out to seem like the humans can do some incredible things with these substances." She spoke halfheartedly, and Dmitri could tell she was exhausted both physically and emotionally. "I had a whim that we might be able to combine some to help us get out of here, but I don't know what I was thinking."

"Maybe make an explosive, or something?"

"Maybe." A pause between the two birds. The sun had now risen outside and a distorted line of light lay over the two birds like some sort of surreal connection. It made Irena's eyes glisten in a way that Dmitri hadn't seen since he had awoken from his coma at the Penguin City. Irena closed the bottle and set it down, sighing. "Do you think they'll feed us soon? We haven't eaten in well over a day."

"I hope so," commented Dmitri. "I think we're more valuable to them alive, though. Otherwise they wouldn't have just tossed us in here. So they should feed us soon."

Irena nodded, then pulled her knees up into her chest and leaned forward on them, looking at the collection of chemicals before her. Her eyes weren't focused on them, though. She was thinking about something. Dmitri took a minute himself to think before speaking. Irena's loyalty was definitely fierce, but that didn't explain why she left the city that her father had entrusted to her to chase his crazy dream of figuring out who she was.

"Hey Irena," he began, "why did you leave the city to come with me on this crazy adventure?" The emperor's eyes lit up, and she looked at him with curiosity. It was like she wasn't expecting the question. Dimitri added, "instead of staying with the city, you know. With your father gone they probably could have used your guidance."

The female looked sadly down at that word, and Dmitri realized that was the cost she had paid to help him get halfway across the globe. They couldn't even predict what had been going on back in Antarctica since they left. "I'm still figuring that out myself," Irena admitted, not looking up. "I thought it was the right thing to do at the time, but now I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean?"  
>"Remember what I said back on the boat, before the storm? My dad had plans for me. I loved him and I wanted to respect what he had laid out for my life. I still do. I'm just not sure I've taken the right path."<p>

The female looked up into Dmitri's eyes, and he noticed how they glistened in the distorted sunlight again. This time, however, he saw it was because she was on the verge of tears. "You mean, leaving the city without a leader?"

"Well, yes and no," the emperor responded. "Dad definitely understood that the city was going to need another leader eventually. Your dad helped him in that when he nearly snapped his beak in half," the female nudged him as she said it jokingly, and he smiled. "But I'm an only child. I have no brothers."

Dmitri arched a brow in confusion at her statement. Banar had been the chieftain of the Penguin City as long as he could remember. He never even thought the emperors had a rule about female birds being leaders. "Wait, your dad didn't allow girls to become chieftain?"

Irena smiled slightly. "It actually doesn't surprise me that you didn't know. Melanda was always trying to convince my dad to change that rule, but he stood strong on it. So dad didn't even consider training me to lead the city."

"But when we were walking to the Temple of the Sun," Dmitri argued, looking intently at his friend, "you said you were ready to help run the city after your dad was taken."

Irena looked up at the glass-block window for a moment before continuing. "My father always did want a son. My mom died when she was laying my egg, and to uphold his emperor honor he never got together with another penguin, so there was no chance he'd have a son to lead the emperors after he died."

"Doesn't that mean that the emperors would just have a tournament to determine the new chieftain?" Dmitri asked.

"Right, but my dad was all about keeping the bloodline pure. My grandfather and I'm sure his father before him were both chieftains, so he had a belief that the Swiftfeathers clan would forever lead the emperors. He just couldn't stand the fact that he was unable to have a son."

Irena wiped a tear that had spilled over the corner of her eye. She continued. "He wanted to keep the bloodline pure, and also keep me somewhat involved with leading the emperors. He wanted me to mate with the penguin he was sure would win the tournament—or he could cheat to help win."

Irena paused for a moment and looked up at Dmitri who looked at her with insatiable curiosity. He had never heard this story about the family he once respected as leaders. While Banar was always open about the affairs of the colony as a whole, he kept his personal matters to himself. Dmitri had never heard about how his mate died until now, and he most certainly didn't hear about the penguin's need to keep the chieftain bloodline pure. The more he thought about it, though, the more it made sense. Melanda and Banar had done such a good job keeping him sheltered, that he had no clue anything of what Irena spoke of was going on.

"So you were doomed to mate with whoever your father saw fit, and you were going to be forced into following whoever that penguin was?"  
>"Yeah," Irena commented, then stood up. She turned her back on Dmitri and he heard her took a deep breath. Then she turned around and said, "That mate was supposed to be you, Dmitri. Banar wanted you to lead the emperors."<p>

The words hit Dmitri with the weight of a thousand bricks; a feeling he hadn't felt since he was standing on the snowbank outside the Penguin City and Irena had once told him his father had passed mere feet from him when he was young, and he was denied the ability to meet him. He instantly felt his flippers tense and his heart accelerated. His brow lowered into a profuse scowl, which Irena noticed. She turned back around and sniffled.

"He knew you'd try to win the tournament and that you'd probably win. Us emperors are just really slow and clumsy. You're fast, agile, and strong. That was something my dad wanted for the Swiftfeathers bloodline. We were supposed to... mate in a year or so, and then he was going to step down from chieftain so that he could help you become it."

Dmitri looked down at the ground, his face bearing an anger comparable to what he felt outside the Penguin City. His lack of surprise at the fact that Irena had even more lies to tell him didn't even help to calm him down. In fact, he stood and glared at the back of Irena's head like he hoped he could read into her thoughts, wondering what made her think she could get away with being so deceitful.

"So you're telling me that the whole reason I was held from my father, and even raised by Melanda in the first place, is because I'm some kind of _elite _penguin that your father wanted to take advantage of to strengthen your bloodline?"

"Right," Irena said, but didn't turn around. Her voice sounded quiet but steady.

Dmitri couldn't believe what he had heard. It was so against the core values he had been taught by Melanda and the emperors that the conflict between the two nearly made him sick to his stomach. If the emperors were so well to do about their community and helping their fellow penguin, why did they made his life an entire lie?

At least the reason he was so sheltered made sense. Rumors about his existence in the colony must have sparked as soon as he became a permanent resident as a chick. Melanda did a good job of keeping him from talking to the other emperors: fishing with him during off-hours, not allowing him to play with the other children, withholding him from getting to know Irena. Fuming, he gritted his beak as Irena began to speak.

"I didn't know much about my dad's plan until the day of your coming-of-age," she explained. "That was why I wasn't there. I didn't know what to think. My dad wasn't happy about me not coming. And then he got taken by those hunters, and I haven't seen him since."

Irena's voice was steady like before, but when she finally turned around Dmitri saw the tears that were streaking down her feathers. This time, however, they didn't incite a greater rage inside of him. They did something else entirely; they calmed him. That was because he had finally connected all the dots. Now he had the last piece to connect the puzzle.

He let his flippers fall limply to his sides and said, "Everything that you've done for me since Melanda and Banar were captured was because you wanted to respect your dad's plan, wasn't it?"  
>Irena nodded, then used a flipper to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I was so upset with him when he got taken, I just couldn't bear to go against his wishes. If he's dead now, he died thinking I betrayed him and the Swiftfeathers clan. I couldn't live with myself knowing that."<p>

"So you stuck with me through it all, even with all the crap I gave you."

The female nodded again. "The trip to the Temple of the Sun wasn't planned; it was more to deal with the humans in the meantime so that I could focus on making you leader before there was no flock to lead. I wasn't planning on Edgar telling you about your origin, but yeah, I stayed with you because I wanted to protect your bloodline and mine. I thought that maybe we'd be able to return to Antarctica some day, maybe after you discovered who you actually are."

Dmitri looked away from the emperor then and back to the streams of light that now danced across the floor. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" He asked.

The question incited anger in the the female, and she snapped with an intensity that startled Dmitri. "You never let me!" She shouted. "All I wanted to do was help ease you into who you actually are and explain to you why Banar kept you so sheltered, and you just yell at me! Of course I didn't want to tell you."

Dmitri looked with concern at his female friend, who was now scowling at him. He figured she had a reason to, though. He had practically slammed her into the snow back in Antarctica just because she was telling him what he needed to hear. Had he let his own personal issues get in the way of the much bigger picture? Irena was trying to solve a much bigger problem, something that had predated his identity crisis by years. Wasn't he just spitting in the face of the same emperor morals he called Banar a hypocrite for ignoring himself? Why did he care?  
>All of his questions and confusion were getting to him. He saw back down and twiddled his flippers quietly as he heard Irena sigh. "Aren't you going to hit me, or something?" She asked, infuriated.<p>

"No," Dmitri responded quietly. All this time, Irena had just been trying to respect her missing father's wishes. He didn't know what to think for the time being. "No... I'm not going to. I'm sorry I almost did back in Antarctica."

This apology seemed to calm the female, and he looked up to see her coming over to him. She sat down by her chemicals again, but didn't take her eyes off of him. She let out a soft chuckle and said, "And to think, we're supposed to be together with an egg on the way right now, happily leading the emperors in their day-to-day tediousness. Kind of crazy to think instead we're locked in a closet, in a place we don't know, with the blood of countless humans on our flippers, eh?"

Dmitri was shocked at the female's tone of disinterest. "Yeah, I guess," he said, unsure of what else to say.

Silence gripped the room for a period of time after that. Dmitri couldn't keep his thinking straight as he thought about what he had heard. Every time he felt like he should be angry for being used his entire life to fulfill other people's goals, he realized Irena had the same reasons to be angry and then calmed down. She had been so helpful to him, even since she had appeared to save his life from the hunters with Edgar, when no other emperors would because he was... different. He didn't even know where to begin.

Irena had just begun to fiddle with the chemicals again when there was a sound of rustling and voices from the other side of the door. He walked up to it to press his ear against the hard wood and hear what was going on, but instead jumped away when it swung open. He immediately saw the small rockhopper aiming his penguin-sized rifle at him, and stepped back as his heart skipped a beat.

"Don't move and you won't have to stitch up a bullet hole tonight," Buck said threateningly from behind his son. Irena had stood and was now holding on to Dmitri's flipper as they backed up until their backs touched the shelves behind them.

"Bring the new prisoner," Buck announced, looking beyond the corner of the door.

Savio's tail came into view, which set down a terrified-looking gray-furred lemur. The lemur was bound and gagged, and he was shaking visibly. The red-furred lemur named Clemson rounded the corner and said, "I don't see why I just can't kill him _now_."

"I told you, Clementine," argued Buck, "you violated a direct order by capturing this guy. I'm willing to overlook it because he's far more valuable to us alive than dead."

"You said that about those two sorry schmucks," the lemur shot back, pointing to Dmitri and Irena who shivered. "But I don't see them giving us any value."

"Shut up," Buck said forcibly, walking up to the lemur and shoving a flipper in his face.. "This is my team and you will follow my orders, is that understood?"

Clemson gritted his teeth. "Yes sir," he said barely audibly.

"Good. Now throw that lemur in there so we can get the door locked. His smell is starting to make me nauseous," Buck commented.

Savio's tail raised the lemur off the ground again and tossed him roughly into the closet. Dmitri and Irena dodged out of the way as he hit a stack of small, empty boxes which tumbled over on top of him.

"Oh, and you, Manfredi Junior" Buck said, grabbing Dmitri's attention. "If I catch wind that you untied him, I'll personally drive a nail through your girlfriend's head, got it?"

Dmitri gulped and nodded slowly as he felt Irena's grip tighten on his flipper.

"I said, _got it?_"

"Yes... sir," Dmitri responded weakly.

"Good. Now, close the door before I pop a blood vessel. Clemson, c'mon. Those bastards from Central Park are likely to come try to rescue their partner soon."

Savio reached up and closed the door, locking it with a click. After a few moments the voices of the animals faded away to nothing. Even then, Dmitri didn't move or dare look at their new cellmate for a full minute. When he finally did, he saw a dirty-looking lemur covered in boxes. It was the same lemur he had seen at the gate of Central Park Zoo when Buck was nearly shot to death. The lemur's eyes already betrayed the animal's want to be untied.

"Not going to happen," Dmitri said under his breath, and pulled Irena to the other side of the closet.


	48. An Alarming Declaration

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 47 – An Alarming Declaration<strong>

**"SO HOW DO WE GO ABOUT THIS, KOWALSKI ?"**

Skipper had poured himself a cup of what Private assumed was only water, because without electricity his coffee maker sat dark and unused. He sipped it slowly as he looked at his lieutenant—who chose to stand even though the rest of them had taken seats around the table—with intent. Private himself was slowly picking at a piece of fish that Rico had offered him. Realizing he hadn't eaten a real meal in over a day didn't even raise his appetite. He had far too much else on his mind. So much, in fact, that he even had trouble focusing on the conversation in the room.

"It is unlikely that Officer X will help us outright if we approach him directly," Kowalski explained, "so we'll have to go through his colleague, Andrew Green. Green seems to have some sort of authoritative position over Officer X, so he should be able to convince the man to help us."

"What about Green himself?" Maurice asked. "Can't he help us if Officer X doesn't?"

"I suppose," nodded Kowalski, "but he doesn't have Officer X's training and experience. He will have trouble taking on the Hoboken animals."

"That's still better than no help at all," Skipper affirmed. "Now, how do we go about this?"

Kowalski held up his clipboard, using his flipper to indicate a blank page. "We need to enlist the help of the chimps to write a note for us, then deliver it to Andrew Green personally."

"Dammit," Skipper cursed under his breath, "That won't work. We can't let the other animals know about this."

"_Why not?_" Rico wheezed. "_They waddah help rescue!_"

Skipper lowered his brow at his weapons expert. "As far as I know, the animals of this zoo are about ready to ditch us. Do you think if they found out some crazy Hoboken animals are kidnapping them they'd be any more willing to stay?"

Private lowered his brow at his leader's words. "Why do you even care, Skippah?" He asked before he could stop himself. The animals in the room gave him confused looks, so he continued. "If you don't want their help in defending the zoo, why even bother trying to make them stay?"

Skipper arched his brow at the small bird, frowning. He didn't respond in any other way than glaring. Finally, Maurice broke the silence. "Look, Skipper. If we don't get the chimps to write the note for us, who will? Julien is the only other animal who knows how to read and write in the whole zoo."

"And as prone to gossip as those two are, everyone will know by sundown," Skipper shot back quickly.

"Did you ever consider that maybe that's a good thing?" Kowalski asked his leader, and Private suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He had bold-faced lied to Marlene about her love's kidnapping not more than fifteen minutes ago. Deep inside, he knew it was wrong, but he did it to withhold Skipper's wishes. That was more important than Marlene right now. That knowledge didn't stop him from wanting to run out and tell the otter the truth before she left the zoo, though. Left without ever saying goodbye to the lemur he could tell she still loved.

If this plan to rescue Julien was to work, though, word had to get out. Marlene was sure to find out, and though maybe he could play innocent to some extent, she would know deep inside that he lied to her. The time they had spent together immediately following the absorption brought them too close, to familiar with each other. She'd know, and it was going to crush her. Maybe even to the point that she'd admit his plan to kill Kowalski, Private realized. But as far as the small penguin knew, that plan was no longer important. He might have to do some talking to convince Skipper that he was confused and didn't realize what the Sun really meant, but any way the situation carried itself out he figured he'd still have the Penguins' help in rescuing his friend.

Private remembered when he had first stumbled into the Marlene's drainage pipe home, blood leaking from his face and joining the tears that stained his feathers. Julien had ran into him on his way out, and Private clearly recalled the terror in the lemur's eyes. In that moment Private had forgotten about his worries, about the penguin quartet that was no more. He only had concern for Marlene at that moment in time, and now he realized he lacked that concern. Marlene had been such a good friend to him, keeping his dark intentions a secret, never questing Private's decisions. Why had he pushed her away?

She was no longer of value to him, he figured. If the humans were going to ever be able to come back, he had to accept that. He had to maintain connections with those who would help him get them back. Marlene was not one of them. Julien was.

Private brought his attention back to the room, where tension was rising. He wanted to say something to break it, but found nothing to say that didn't make him seem like a hypocrite. Finally Maurice said, "Well I say Julien's life is more important than keeping the animals in the zoo. If they really care about this place, they'll stay."

Skipper took a long swig of his water, then grimaced. It was obviously not as satisfying as the coffee he was used to. "So we'll get the chimps' help. I'm still not happy about it, though."

Kowalski nodded. "We should head to the Zoovineer. The other animals are waiting for us."

"Right," Skipper affirmed, setting down his mug. "Move out."

* * *

><p>When they approached the ruin souvenir stand, the zoo animals looked like they were already ready to go. Joey the kangaroo had a sack tied to the end of a branch, which he had propped over his shoulder. Bada and Bing were adjusting a set of saddle-bags on Roy's back. Rodger had what looked like a sled tied to his strong tail, and was practicing pulling it behind himself. On the sled was a variety of food and supplies.<p>

There was quite a bit of chatter between all of the animals, and nobody seemed to see the penguins approach. Private looked for Marlene, but she was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't say he was particularly relieved, because he knew it was only a matter of time before she found out about Julien, but was at least happy that she wouldn't know immediately.

"Hey, it's the penguins," someone shouted and all of the animals immediately quieted down. Skipper took a moment to pull himself to the top of one of the still intact tables, and then looked over the animals who seemed to be glaring.

"Marlene tells me you are all planning to desert," Skipper began bluntly.

A retaliation of chatter and insults came in return, and it was obvious the animals were not satisfied with Skipper's use of the term _desert_. Private tried to block out the chatter and instead focused on trying to locate the chestnut-furred otter.

"Quiet!" the leader penguin shouted, and the animals calmed down again. "Now, can someone _please _tell me why?"

Joey hopped forward, his brow lowered. He set down his branch with supplies and pointed at the penguin. "You've gone bloody freakin' insane, mate," he said sharply, and the animals behind him murmured in agreement. "You got some angry blokes after ye' 'nd we don't want anything to do with 'em."

"And there's no food," an animal shouted from the rear.

"Right," Joey affirmed, not taking his eyes off the small bird. "There isn't more than a speck of food left, mate, 'nd you don't seem to be interested in finding more."

Skipper looked at the kangaroo with his steely gaze, obviously considering the kangaroo's words. Private took another glance over the zoo animals, looking for Marlene, but she was nowhere to be found.

"You're right," Skipper said, "there isn't much food left. We assumed the humans would be back by now, but you shouldn't go AWOL on us because a couple of good-for-nothings are knocking on our door. The penguins and I will handle it."

Joey scoffed, but before he could speak again Roy was at his side and spoke for him. "Honestly Skipper, we have no role in your quarrel, and we don't want to sit by and risk being killed in it. We heard what you did to that penguin."

Skipper clenched his beak, staring up at the massive mammal. "Ye' can't even keep your own blokes in line," Joey added, grabbing Private's attention.

The small bird looked up towards his leader just in time to see him glance down. Word must have spread through the zoo about Private being discharged. Skipper tapped his beak for a moment before speaking again.

"We can't hold you in the zoo," he said, and the animals across from him seemed to be surprised by this statement. "What, did you think we were going to try to imprison you? You should know though, the world is a different place now. Out there," he gestured to the zoo gate, "you won't have any sort of protection, and I seriously doubt you'll have any more luck finding food."

"What are you talking about?" Roy asked.

"The humans are never coming back," Skipper said, and a few gasps were audible from the crowd. "Actually, nearly all of the humans in the world are gone. They just vanished without a trace. Alice, the guests. For some reason that man who had been feeding you, and his friend, survived but they're just about it. There's nobody else in the world."

Silence passed over the animals. Private stared up his leader. He realized that now was the ideal time to reveal this information to the animals—right when they were on the brink of finding it out for themselves anyway—but why tell them at all? Wouldn't things be a little easier if the animals just went out into the world? There would be no Jungle Law, no fighting over food, no crazy all-night attempts to rebuild the zoo. The more Private thought about it, the more confused he became. It was Skipper's next words that answered his questions.

"All you're going to find outside these walls is a whole lot of rubble and wild animals hungry for _you. _If you want to stay safe, I strongly suggest you stay here. As I said before, the penguins and I are working on apprehending the animals which present to our zoo, as well as any additional threats. I know my methods are a bit drastic, but drastic times call for them."

There was some chatter for some time between the animals as they contemplated this recommendation. Private looked back over them for Marlene, and finally spotted her. She was walking up to the group from the back of the crowd, and was holding what looked like one of Julien's leaf crowns. He felt his heart drop; she still thought he was safe in the zoo.

Skipper seemed to notice her presence as well, so he decided to push forward. "These animals—the ones threatening our zoo—are not to be played with. They know what they're doing." He paused for a breath, then continued. "One of our own was abducted by them last night."

Another series of gasps went around the group, and then some more chatter as they all tried to figure out who Skipper was talking about. Roy and Joey, who were still standing close to Skipper, looked at each other for a moment and then eased back into the crowd.

"Where's Julien?" came a voice from the rear of the crowd, and Private instantly recognized the panicked tone as Marlene's. He gulped hard.

"One of the Hoboken Animals has a vendetta against our resident lemur king," Skipper explained, "so they took him hostage. Now don't worry, we know where he is being held and we are going to rescue him as soon as we can. They will try to use him as leverage to get supplies from us, and we won't let them."

Private glanced up towards his leader as noted the leader's attempt to avoid bringing himself into it. The flat-headed penguin obviously didn't want the zoo animals to know about Buck's quarrel with him.

Marlene pushed her way to the front of the crowd. Her face expressed terror and she clutched the lemur's spare crown tightly in her paws. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

Skipper glared down at Marlene, and Private got an air of scrutiny. He knew his leader was wondering why the otter even cared about the lemur king after hearing about what happened, but he didn't know the other half of the story. He didn't know how Marlene cried herself to sleep nightly over her lost love, about how Private had comforted her. Private knew she still loved the lemur, and she was making that clear now.

"Like I said, we're working to rescue him now. We just need some help from Mason and Phil. The rest of you are dismissed. We will regroup and regroup after we rescue Julien." Skipper explained quickly, and Private noted his hastiness. He didn't want any more questions to be thrown around. Some of the animals chattered amongst themselves, while others glared at Skipper. Then they all departed back to their habitats. It became clear to Private that they wanted some time to think things over before leaving.

When everyone had cleared the plaza, the two chimps in question approached the table. They looked bored and uninterested as usual. Private could tell they hadn't been particularly interested in leaving the zoo to begin with. Besides them, Marlene was the only animal left. She looked unsatisfied and frightened as she clutched Julien's spare crown.

Kowalski approached the chips moved to hand his clipboard, complete with a pen, to Mason, but Marlene interjected by holding her free paw between them. "So what's this all about? Julien was kidnapped, and you didn't tell me?"

Private didn't even need to look up at his leader, who had now hopped back down to be level with the other animals, to tell that he was expected to give an answer. He knew that Marlene would eventually discover Julien's disappearance, he just wished it wasn't so soon. If they had a chance to rescue him first, she would just be mad at the penguin. But now that she knew before they even set up their plan, she would be mad at him _and_ race off to the city in a crazed state.

It was a delicate situation, he realized, and Skipper and the others were relying on him to say just the right thing. So he did what he knew was an effective way to manipulate those around him—he lied.

"We just discovered he was missing a short while ago," he began, but Marlene didn't look satisfied.

"No, no, no," she mumbled and Private could see anger breaking through her desperation. "I saw your map and your discussion back in the HQ. You knew about this for a while." Private opened his mouth to retaliate, but she shushed him. "No, don't give me that. You know damn well that Skipper wouldn't even bother working with you unless you had something to do with this." She pointed at the flat-headed penguin as she spoke, and Private heard her breaths become short and choppy. She was loosing control, and he needed to defuse her quickly. If nothing else, he needed to ensure she didn't reveal anything to Skipper that might lead to questioning about Hans or about his dreams.

And then Private remembered something. He remembered his and Julien's conversation atop the gate, the morning Buck returned. He remembered Julien's constant dodging of the topic of his and Marlene's relationship, the way he said it was, "not important." He knew just what to say.

Private sighed, then said, "You're right, Marlene. We did know about Julien's abduction when you came into the HQ. I lied to you, and you know why?" Marlene seemed to calm for a minute, waiting for a response. "Julien doesn't love you anymore. I don't know why you can't see that."

The otter's jaw dropped as fast as the crown did from her paws, but she had calmed. Her breathing had quieted and her quivering had ceased. Tears instantly formed in her eyes as she seemed to take in what Private said.

"I wanted to protect you, Marlene. Even if we get Julien back alive, he's going to avoid you like the plague. Whatever you two had, it's over. I just didn't want to tell you directly like this."

With that Marlene was away, racing down the pathway like she had just chosen some random direction. Private felt his heart drop yet again for his friend; he knew she still loved the lemur. It just didn't seem like there was any room for love in the world anymore.

The small penguin glanced over at the leader penguin for some signal that they could carry on with their plan to rescue Julien, but the glare he received instead seemed to pierce him. Skipper's beak was turned into a profuse scowl. Private looked at the other penguins. Rico looked at him confused and Kowalski looked at him with his blank facade. He looked back at Skipper and received a subtle head-nod in the direction that Marlene went, so he grabbed the spare crown from where it lay on the ground and went to speak to her.

The penguin found his once close friend sitting on the ground at the entrance of the zoo, staring into the park beyond like it was some kind of endless void. She was crying into her paws and taking in short, subtle breaths. Too much like that night Private had been discharged, and he considered ignoring her. But if he was going to go this route, he at least needed to get the otter to believe what he had said. He was fairly confident it was true, but if it wasn't, it could just throw more wrenches in the gears.

He waddled up behind the sobbing otter, clutching the crown in his flippers. It was one of the typical ones Julien wore—leafy greens arranged around a gold-painted plastic centerpiece. The lemur-king hadn't worn his crown often since he moved into Marlene's habitat, but Private could still envision this piece resting on his head.

"He loved that painting," Marlene mumbled, and he looked up. She sounded quiet, as if she was defeated. "I was going to hang it up right over our bed after I finished it, and he kept urging me to work faster. He wanted to see it complete, wanted to see us in our regal beauty, or something like that. I just don't know what changed."

Private set the crown down near the otter and moved closer. He saw that her eyes stared blankly out into the park, and wondered what she was thinking about. "When did it go wrong?" He asked.

Marlene sighed. "It was a simple night. Julien was making some mango smoothies and I was working on our painting. Then he accidentally knocked his blender off the table, and got the mango everywhere." She paused. "Of course he wouldn't admit fault for it. So I brushed it off; figured it was nothing. Then you came over, and told us about everything that was going on with the Sun. I were worried for everyone else immediately after; I hardly thought of us. But that was the problem.

"Julien wanted to leave. He said that it was only a matter of time before you crazy penguins got it in your head to go back to Antarctica. He told me all about how we were lucky enough to have survived one trip there, and about how we'd be roped into it again. I didn't want to go, though. I said that Skipper might need us. Julien insisted we'd die if we went.

"He tried everything to convince me. First he told me about how he was too young to die and all that other egotistical bullcrap he's known for. When that didn't work, he shifted gears. He told me I was too weak to go. If I tried to fight, I'd be killed easily."

Marlene looked up at Private, and he saw how blank her eyes looked. Tears slowly streamed from them, but the two hazel orbs echoed the hollow sound of her voice.

"I snapped then. Julien had no right to say that about me. I was the one who _kept everyone alive_ during the fight at the Antechamber. I was the one who _kept him alive_. Me. Not him. He got his nose broken by a hammer. I lost control and attacked. I barely remember it. I just remember the look of terror on his face as he raced out of our home.

"I wasn't sure how to go on, after that. I gave it a few days and then tried to talk to him, shortly after those Hoboken animals first showed up. He would hardly say a word to me, though. He just told me about how I'm 'too unpredictable' for his tastes and about how he was worried for my safety."  
>She paused briefly, then chuckled. "<em>My <em>safety. It doesn't even make sense. I'd be the one at risk of killing _him_."

Marlene's story trailed off as she looked back into the park. Private was unsure of how to respond, not even sure what words he could say to help her feel better. She spoke again, however, so he decided to listen.

"I know you know where they're holding him. I'm not even going to ask where, because I knew even if you told me you'd probably give me a false address. I know you've been working with him on something about Kowalski and the Sun, and I know you're going to make sure he is safe. That's all that really matters any more."

The otter quieted then, getting up and brushing off her knees. She seemed to have composed herself a bit. Tears no longer flowed from her eyes and her breathing was quiet and steady. She looked deeply into Private's eyes and then spoke in the most intimidating voice he had ever heard from her before.

"You're accountable for everything that happens to him, Private. He looses some fur, you loose some feathers. He looses an eye, you loose an eye. He dies... you die."

The otter walked away from the penguin, leaving him in a daze. He was unsure of how to take in what she had said. Did she really mean it? A gently breeze blew by him, causing the leaves from the crown which she had not taken with her to brush against his leg.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>The plot thickens! I apologize for these recent, long chapters of emotional mumbo-jumbo, but we're moving pretty quickly towards the end of the story. I promise it'll all be worth it.


	49. An Unexpected Savior

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 48 – An Unexpected Savior<strong>

**X WIPED THE SWEAT FROM HIS BROW**.

It had taken most of the day, but he had finally patched up the hole in the wall. What was once a gaping entryway in plaster and brick was now a fortified wall of plywood and two-by-fours. He wasn't fully certain it would be able to keep out those pickaxe-swinging maniacs, but at least it would delay them. And if nothing else besides that, alert him and Andrew to their presence when they tried to knock it down.

He turned and looked into the park. He had been keeping one eye over his shoulder for the course of the day, but hadn't spotted any movement except that of some birds and other park wildlife. He can't say he wasn't surprised; the Torturer knew he wasn't going to go down without a fight. The man was going to take some time to formulate a plan of attack and gain some weapons or supplies.

X grabbed his toolbox from where it sat near the reconstructed wall, and tossed his hammer back into it. Then he made his way around to the front of the zoo where Andrew was just putting the finishing touches on the reconstructed entry gate. He had extended the fence upwards with the coil of barbed wire, and braced the other side of it with two-by-fours. There were parts the convicts could slip through if they had a pair of wire cutters and half a brain, but it was a heck of a lot more solid than the old gate.

X reached out and pushed the gate, surprised to see how fluid it moved, even though he had bent it to hell by crashing through it with his van. Andrew had certainly done a good job. The businessman wiped some sweat from his brow and then grabbed a bottle of water from a pile that was on the ground near him. He picked up a second and tossed it to X, who caught it without a second glance.

After a long swig, Andrew said, "Alright, that's the main two entry points taken care of. We should be somewhat safer in here, at least for a short while."

X nodded, looking around the zoo for any more potential entryways. There were some other doors and gates in the wall, but they were locked firmly and wouldn't be any easier to get through than the main gate or X's hasty patchwork on the crumbled wall. No _easy_ entry to the zoo, that was for sure. But X's tactical training was screaming at him. He knew they'd find a way in.

For one, the wall was too short. The convicts could easily find a ladder to scale the ten—maybe fifteen—feet that it rose into the air. For another, he was concerned about the penguins' secret tunnel he had heard so much about. The Torturer had direct sight of it, if the penguins had been using it. He wasn't sure if it was even big enough for them to squeeze through, but the potential was there. Finally, they was two men—one with hardly any real combat training—against a dozen. It wouldn't be too hard for the convicts to just bash the gate down again with some SUV and come out guns blazing.

X decided to keep these concerns to himself. He knew they'd just have to keep an eye out for the time being. Their best chance for survival would be to see the angle at which the convicts approached and try to formulate an ambush.

X set down his toolbox and took a drink of water. It had been a long day of work, but he didn't really feel tired. More or less, he felt restless. He always felt he had a six sense for these kinds of situations. It was like he could detect when hell was about to break loose.

"I was thinking," Andrew said, grabbing X's attention again. "If we don't see significant improvement from the penguins within the next day or so, we should get going. There's no reason we can't take them with us to DC and continue with our work. I mean, it would be a shame to abandon the zoo, but there's hardly any food left for the animals anyway. We can't try to keep them all alive."

X finished off his bottle of water. He crumpled it up and threw it to the ground. "You sure your birds would be alright with that? I mean, last time we man-handled 'em, they beat the crap out of me and stole my gun."

"It may take some coaxing," Andrew affirmed, "but keeping them safe is what's important right now. We can worry about making them happy later. But if we're captured by the Torturer, neither of those things will happen."

"I guess," X returned dully. He wasn't really banking on the fact that he'd be captured at all. The idea of fleeing—potentially leaving Andrew and the penguins behind—if the situation demanded it was firmly planted at the back of his mind. All he'd have to do is hop in his van, and he'd be able to outrun any of those convicts.

Andrew didn't look satisfied by the response, but seemed to shrug it off and moved over to tidy up the tools that had been strewn about the concrete. When he came close with a few tools in his arms, X asked, "Do you really think the penguins are capable of protecting whatever the hell this Sun thing is?"

Andrew set the tools into the box and then pushed his glasses up his nose. "I have utmost confidence in them. I saw what happened the last time they fought over it. It wasn't pretty."

X nodded. "But who would even knows about that thing besides you? I've never heard of it before."

"I have no clue," Andrew admitted. "I just want to take the safer road here. Whether it's human or animal, some force will try to take up that power again. It's inevitable. If people weren't naturally inclined to greed and power-thirst, we'd have a perfect world, wouldn't we?"

X opened his mouth to dismiss the businessman's statement, but then considered its validity. It may hold some weight, he realized. Either way, he asked a further question that was on his mind. "If the Sun was behind the disappearance of all the humans, do you think we can use it to get them back?"

Andrew looked at him for a moment, his dirty and scratched glasses distorting his brown orbs. "I never considered it. After seeing what happened to the man I saw absorbed in the Temple, I figured it was a fate close to death. I'd like for nothing more for it to be true, though. Maybe then we can bring Alice back."

"Maybe," X offered. Inside, he didn't think it would be possible, but for some reason it made him feel better to give Andrew a little bit of hope. Maybe that was because he knew it would be inevitably crushed. Yeah, that must have been it, he figured. People just don't vanish in thin air and then magically come back. But then again, people don't just _vanish_, either. He had thought that maybe the Rapture would have been the only thing to cause that. The Rapture wouldn't be triggered by some artifact on Earth, though. That much he did know. He just didn't know why it seemed so much like it.

"If we ever even want to try to give it a shot, though, we're going to need the penguins' help. We can't get near that thing, not when we can just be vaporized by it," Andrew explained. "For now, why don't we focus on the _current_ threat to us, rather than worrying about what's in the future?"

X smiled. "You're learning."

The two men began preparing for the night. The only way they were going to fight off the convicts was if they had a plan. X made sure his handgun was loaded and that he had a few extra clips on his person, so he'd be able to whip it out at a moments notice. He also clipped a few of the gas and flashbang grenades to his belt. He handed a couple to Andrew, who took them awkwardly in his hands before shoving them into his ruined jacket pockets. X figured that even if he blinded or gassed himself, he'd still at least get a few convicts. X decided to keep the fragmentation grenades and anti-personnel mines for himself.

Andrew worked on placing some of the gardening tools at strategic locations. Behind a bench, in an empty garbage can, inconspicuously leaning up against the Zoovineer. Just so that no matter where they were in the zoo, a weapon wouldn't be more than an arms reach away. The businessman also worked on hooking up the old battery to the main gate, so that they'd have that little bit of extra protection. It sizzled and sparked as he connected the terminals, but quieted down after that. Anyone who touched the metal would get a big enough dose of electricity to stun them.

The last thing X did was take a few minutes to check the machine gun on the van. It worked just as good as he always remembered, and the double barrels appeared at the simple press of a button. He didn't fire the weapon, though. He trusted it would work and didn't want to waste the ammunition. He moved it so that the back of it was nearly flush against the fence of the penguins' ring pool, facing the entrance. He couldn't think of a more ideal position for it.

When they figured they had done all that they could, Andrew handed X one of the penguin monitors. "This one is for the little, round guy," he explained. "I'll hold onto the large, crazy one's. They have been tending to stay on opposite sides of the zoo, so hopefully we'll gain some extra eyes." X had a glance down at the monitor, and saw that the penguin he was gazing through was looking at the other three penguins, in addition to the two chimpanzees. The chimps were writing down something on what looked like the tall penguin's clipboard. After a moment, the chimps handed the clipboard back to the tall penguin.

"Who wants to take first watch?" Andrew asked. "I'm not tired, if you want some shut eye."

X looked at his friend for a minute, then returned, "Sounds good." After all, he had hardly slept since the night of the hurricane. "I'll be in the van. The windows will be down so you can call my name to get my attention. Come get me in six hours. And even if you think I'm sleeping, put your flare up as soon as you think you're in danger. I'll see it."

Andrew nodded, and the two man split ways.

X entered the van and shifted around in the seat for a few minutes, trying to find a comfortable position. He couldn't recall the last time he had to spend an uncomfortable night within its metal confines. There had been so many missions where he had to either stake out a location for days on end or lay low to not blow his cover that the van had become a second home to him. It only took him a few moments to find his normal comfortable spot. The keys sat in the ignition, ready to go at a moments notice. And the button to activate the machine guns was at arms-length.

* * *

><p>Not surprisingly, X's sleep was light and sparse. He drifted in and out every few minutes, glancing down at the green LED clock that stared him in the face and mocked his insomnia. He had never been a good sleeper when even the idea of a threat was around. That was why he enjoyed sleeping in his fortress of a home.<p>

The clock read ten thirty-two; just two and a half hours into his nap time. If he couldn't get some more serious rest soon, he figured he wouldn't have the strength of cognitive ability to hold off any of the convicts if they reared their ugly heads. He crossed his arms over his chest to hold off a chill that came through the window and looked into the night before him. It was deep, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

That gnawing feeling that something just wasn't quite right came back to him, and he peered around. It was quiet; something that he came to expect from the abandoned city. He strained his ears to make out any slight sound, either from the animals or from Andrew. But there was nothing.

Nothing, at least, until he jumped when Andrew's high-pitched scream pounded on his eardrums. Dammit, he thought, he should have known they'd come so soon.

Not a moment later, a bright red glow lit up the zoo as the businessman's emergency flare soared overhead. He didn't move immediately; it was key to listen. He heard rustling from his left and looked that way just in time to see headlights appear at the main entrance of the zoo. His reaction was fast, as if from muscle memory, and as the car barreled through the main gate the machine guns were already ready to go.

The car was a small sedan; not anything that would be able to hold off a barrage of fifty-caliber rounds from his van. He flipped the top of the gear-shifter over and hit the red button that was hidden underneath. The double barrels took no longer than a second to spin up and then streams of bullets slammed the sedan like they were beams of light.

The sedan was rocked by his onslaught. Glass from shattered windows flew everywhere, sparks from the smashed headlights flooded onto the concrete, tires popped and whistled as they spewed air pressure, stirring the gun smoke that clouded the air.

X laid released the button at the same time he flicked on the van's forward-mounted floodlights, revealing the damage. The sedan was ripped to shreds, and blood was splattered all over the inside of the windshield. The driver had been killed, but immediately X noticed the two doors on the opposite side of the sedan from him were open. There had been two more convicts that got away. X gazed around the zoo's plaza, unsure where they might be. When the commotion seemed to have stopped, he gently stepped out of the van.

He readied his weapon and listened intently for any sound of movement. He had the penguins' habitat to his back and the van to his right, and he didn't want to make those flanks vulnerable until he knew it was safe. So he stayed put, aiming down the sight of his handgun.

One of the crazed convicts seemed to get cocky and screamed, charging from behind the sedan. He spewed bullets from some sort of semi-automatic rifle, but X didn't take the time to identify it. He dropped to one knee and lined up his shot in mere seconds. The man's head exploded into red mist and his momentum carried him, flipping, into a nearby habitat. Two down, a dozen to go, he figured. And one of those twelve was likely still hiding behind the sedan.

He heard some whimpering come from that direction and decided to move, not hearing anything from the direction of Andrew's scream. He moved carefully and peered into the night before making the jump between the cover of his van and the cover of the sedan. He peeked ever so carefully around the corner and saw a man. A shotgun lay on the ground near him, but the man himself was busy clutching his shoulder that had obviously been pierced by the van's artillery. He grunted in pain as he desperately tried to stop the bleeding, his teeth gritted and his eyes closed. He seemed to have completely forgotten about X.

The large man crouched beside the wounded man, ignoring his pained grunts for now. He saw lights moving at the far end of the zoo, near where the tool shed was. Of course, he realized. Andrew must have been working to feed the animals when they attacked. As his eyes adjusted slightly after the brightness of the van's spotlights, he saw only two men, each with rifles that had flashlights clipped to their barrels. They were exposed, but a shot from that distance would land only by pure chance, and he would likely miss. And then they'd be alerted to his position.

He decided to maneuver his way to crouch by a nearby low wall—the otter habitat, he figured—and take another gander at the situation. There was just the two men, who were now looking in the direction of the shot-up sedan with horror on their faces. Then they looked at each other and began approaching. X prepared himself to take his shots. One, two. The second one would be dead before the first one even hit the ground, if his aim was on target.

A voice sounded—though X couldn't make out what was said—and the two men turned on the spot. X gritted his teeth. More men made their way out of the tool shed and from behind corners, and before X could realize they were regrouping he counted the dozen he had been worried about. When they were all together, armed with a variety of weapons, there was no way he'd be able to take them all out. He'd take a bullet before he could even nail half of them with only a pistol, even from cover. Even if he had his sub-machine gun, it would be only slightly more possible.

He briefly thought about making his way back to the van and using its guns to mow down the convicts, but then two more men entered the area where the group was standing. To X's horror, he saw that one of them was Andrew Green. He couldn't make out many details from his distance, but he could certainly see the man behind him had a pistol held to his head. When they reached the center of the group, the man behind Andrew forced him to his knees. If he tried to hop in the van now, at the very minimum Andrew would be killed.

X heard the men around him laugh and say things he couldn't quite make out. It was then he realized the man with the pistol was Sigmund Underwood. X knew instantly they were trying to hold Andrew as a hostage to get to him. He took a deep breath and then reloaded his pistol. That one bullet could make all the difference.

"Come out, come out, Mr. Xanthopoulos," shouted Sigmond. "unless you want me to blow this very educated brain all over the concrete."

X looked up the pathway before him. There was no cover there, at least not enough to defend himself from the variety of weapons the men had. There wasn't even a decent enough way to get to try to inch closer without being detected. It was almost as if Sigmund had planned for that to be the case.

X was startled as he felt a tugging on his pant leg, and instinctively he aimed his weapon down at the source. The creature that was there jumped with fright, and froze. It was the zoo's chestnut-furred otter. He lowered the weapon and disregarded the creature, wondering what the hell it could be doing.

It tugged again, though, and he looked back down. This time it was gesturing to an opening in the side of its habitat, just big enough for X to slip through. Then it walked through and X realized it was giving him an opportunity to close the distance between himself and the convicts without being detected. He might even have some cover on the other side.

He followed the otter through what he now saw was some kind of access point for delivering food. When he was on the other side he slipped as quietly as his boots would let him through the habitat, avoiding twigs and small puddles of water like the plague. The otter tailed him before hopping onto the tall rock structure in the middle of its habitat..

When he grew close to the wall the men were opposite, it began making strange clicking noises. X froze just in time to hear some boots click against the pavement outside. A man had passed close enough to hear him. When it quieted again, he slipped into position right next to where the men were stationed.

"We know you're here. That van's guns didn't fire themselves, did they? You've got ten seconds to reveal yourself, otherwise we'll just kill you all the same after we kill this man." Sigmund's voice sounded calm, and X worried for the safety of his friend. He needed to think quickly.

He reached down to his belt with his free hand and unclasped one of the flashbang grenades. It felt cold against his palm, and he prepared to throw it. A motion from above him caught his attention, and he saw it was the otter again. It was waving its paws, and he got the message. Someone was looking. He got ready to pull the pin on the grenade as the otter held up its paw and gazed over the wall for him.

Then the otter began waving frantically. X knew what it meant, and pulled the pin from the flashbang and sending it sailing over the wall. Some alarmed shouts were audible before X clasped his hands over his ears and shut his eyes. Even behind the wall and at this distance, he could be disorientated by the power of the grenade. As soon as he heard it go off, screams of agony came from the men. X wasted no time and vaulted over the wall, gun at the ready.

The men in the group were either rubbing their eyes or ears, trying to figure out what had happened. He discharged a few shots; nice and clean, through the head. The men didn't even know what hit them as their bodies dropped to the pavement. The large man moved quickly; he knew he only had a few minutes before the men regained their bearings. One man began screaming from fear and fired randomly, very nearly hitting a few of his allies. X dropped to a knee and took aim at the man spraying bullets, and a shot sounded. But it wasn't from his gun.

The crazed man dropped to the ground and his gun ceased its spray of death. X was confused for only a second, and then he felt cold metal kiss the back of his head.

"Drop the gun, stand up, and put your hands out. Any sudden movements and you're both dead."

X cursed. Sigmund had somehow gotten behind him, and killed his own man. The rest of the men were coming to now, so even if he was able to somehow overpower the maniac behind him, he would be shot by the others. He glanced over at Andrew who was whimpering something and rubbing his eyes from the shock of the flashbang.

"Don't make me ask again," Sigmund warned. X obeyed. He had no choice but to follow along with what the man wanted. He set the handgun down and and rose as instructed. One of the other convicts came and picked the gun up, a smug smile on his face. Andrew continued to rub his face in agony.

"As you can see, these men aren't soldiers. They're barely qualified to hold a weapon, and most experience any of them have had was probably shooting their drug partner in the back, or something like that."

Silence passed. All the men seemed to have recovered from the flashbang, except for Andrew.

"That's why I came back," Sigmund said, calmly. "I know you're not going to join up with my boys. That doesn't mean your still not of value, though. Here's my proposition. You spend the next few weeks training my men for me and I let you live."

"I'm guessing if I say no, I die?"

"You and fatty," Sigmund said as if he was shrugging. "I wonder which kneecap I should shoot out first."

X's brain went crazy, looking for a way out of the situation. He knew that even if he could disarm one of the men, though, he would just be shot by one of the other eleven. Not to mention that Sigmund's reflexes were probably faster than he could anticipate. He'd probably get shot before he even knew who he was trying to disarm. Andrew—having recovered from the grenade finally—looked up at him expectantly, as if the businessman trusted he had a plan.

The truth was, he did. He always had a plan. This time, though, he had to play along. Their only hope was to buy time. X felt the gun push hard into the back of his neck and he grunted.

"What's it going to be, Alex?"

The large man was about to open his mouth to agree, but then a far-off sound drew his attention. It sounded familiar, and after a moment he identified what it was. It was a police siren. Not just one siren, either. At least two. The other men seemed to notice this as well, and they looked in the direction of the sound.

"What's this, friends of yours?" Sigmund asked.

"Hell if I know."

"Maybe we should get out of here, boss," one of the convicts said.

There was a moment as though Sigmund seemed to be considering what was happening. "Move out," he commanded, then pushed X forward. The large man stumbled to near where Andrew was still on the ground.

"There are no police left in this city," Sigmund spat, then moved with the rest of his men. They climbed the wall on the opposite side of the zoo and were out of sight. The two men glanced at each other in the middle of the pathway, each afraid to move. The sirens grew louder and X could see red and blue reflecting from the nearby buildings and trees.

Andrew pulled himself to his feet. Not moments after he got up, there was a crash at the entrance. A police cruiser barreled into the ruined sedan so hard it sent it flying through the air where it bounced off the front of X's van. A second cruiser followed shortly thereafter, and slammed into the back of the first. The two of them skidded to a halt, sirens still blaring. The red and blue lights lit up the zoo.

"Please tell me that's someone you know," Andrew commented.

"Nope." Actually he wasn't sure who it could be. He figured it could be a few police officers that had survived the absorption, but why would they be coming here in such a hurry? X stepped forward, and Andrew put a hand on his shoulder to hold him back.

"Hold on, I think I see someone."

Sure enough, the driver's doors of the cars opened nearly simultaneously, but what stepped out wasn't humans. It was smaller, and it seemed like there were two figures per car. X strained his eyes, but it wasn't until they stepped into the van's floodlights did he see who they were.

It was the penguins.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>These chapters are getting increasingly longer. I can't tell if that's a good or bad thing. What do you think? Either way, we're getting down to the wire here. You can expect lots of action from here on out :).

Also, I've just released my official website. I spent quite a bit of time getting it just the way I wanted, so please take some time to give it a peek. The link is in my profile!


	50. A Deadly Chemical

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 49 – A Deadly Chemical<strong>

**DMITRI PLAYED WITH THE VARIOUS CHEMICALS.**

He did it partially just to keep his mind and flippers busy, and mostly to give him a reason not to stare at the bound lemur on the opposite side of the closet. He glanced at a few of the vials, trying to make out what might compose them. He had never seen anything like them, though, so he just kind of sloshed the liquids around inside their vials and containers until he grew bored.

The disheveled penguin looked at his friend, who was clinking two bottles together numbly. Her face looked blank, as it had ever since that lemur was dumped in with them. Not a word had been passed between the two since Irena had told him his true purpose. The truth was out, and it was as if neither of them wanted to deal with it. Or maybe it was just that neither of them knew what to say about it.

Dmitri then took a glance at the lemur, whose eyes cried for help in the same way they had when he was first thrown roughly in. He had shifted slightly, as if to be more comfortable in the pile of boxes were he sat. Besides a couple of low mumbles, incomprehensible through his bound snout, he had been silent. Those big, yellow eyes did all the speaking for him.

Dmitri looked back down at the strange vials. His stomach grumbled lowly and he realized just how hungry and thirsty he had become. He wondered for a moment if one of the chemicals was edible. Maybe one of them was just a container of water? He wasn't sure, and he didn't want to risk a slow and agonizing death over a bit of cottonmouth.

A tapping sound from his side drew his attention once more to Irena. She seemed to have found a small, metal case and she was gently tapping on it with one of the vials. Curious, Dmitri asked, "What's in the box?"

Irena responded dully without glancing up. "I dunno."

"Here, let me have a look." Irena passed the case to the smaller penguin and he fumbled with the latch for a few moments. It wasn't locked, but it definitely wasn't designed to accidentally fall open. When he finally opened it, his eyes grew wide at its contents. He snapped the case shut immediately, before Irena had a chance to see what was inside.

"What?" She asked, startled by his harsh movement.

"Do you know what's in here?"

"Obviously not."

Dmitri looked at her with fear, causing her to arch her brow. "You look like you've seen a ghost," she said.

To Dmitri, what was inside the case might as well have been. The sleek metal frames, the blue feathers on the end, the sharp delivery points. He'd recognize them anywhere. "These are sleep-bringing darts."

Irena looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yes." Dmitri opened the case once more and held it up for Irena to see.

The emperor gently grabbed one of the darts up from inside the case and ran her flipper gingerly up and down its side. Then she picked at the feathers on the end as she said, "Well, it definitely looks like one."

"Where did you find it?" Dmitri asked.

"Up there." The emperor pointed to a similar-looking case, except it was much bigger. The top was left ajar from when she had gone rifling through it. Dmitri set the case of darts down and climbed up to it.

When he opened it, nothing seemed to far out of place. There were some more vials inside, and they matched the ones he had been playing with on the ground. Small, glass, and hardly big enough to hold a few drops of water. Assuming this is where she'd found them, he dug further into the case. He found an outline of where the metal case of darts would have fit. But why would such a thing just exist inside the broom closet of a random human structure? Dmitri continued looking, and discovered that the velvety covering where the vials were snugly fit was movable. He lifted it off, and gasped at what was underneath.

It was separated into three pieces, but he it was more than recognizable. It was one of the hunters' guns. It had a wooden butt, scope, and a long barrel. It was nearly identical to the ones he had seen the emperors get taken with on the day of his coming of age. Whoever the person was who had once lived where they were now trapped had been a hunter.

Dmitri came back down, and Irena wasn't satisfied by the look on his face. She had placed the dart back into the metal case and closed it. She didn't ask any questions as Dmitri took a seat near her again, so he said, "It's some sort of hunter kit."

"What do you mean? Like, it's got all the gear needed for capturing penguins?"

"Exactly. It's got the gun, these extra darts," he picked up one of the vials, "and I'm sure this is that tranquilizer that Edgar was talking about. They must put it inside the darts."

Irena grabbed the case again, looking over it. "What are the chances that we'd see something like this here? I mean, we've only been in this human city for a few days. And most of that time was spent in this closet."

"Pretty high, I guess," Dmitri shrugged.

"Huh?"

"Think about it. The Penguin City was being terrorized by hunters on a regular basis. Then, when those _researchers—_or whatever Edgar called them—came to supposedly help us, they also shot at us. Now the first human home we enter has one of the hunter kits. Personally, I'm not surprised."

As Dmitri finished his explanation, Irena sighed. "Well, it's a good thing they're gone now, eh?"

The smaller penguin didn't immediately respond. Ever since he had seen his father's rotting corpse hunched over the Sun shortly before they annihilated all human life from the planet, he had a distinct feeling that it wasn't the correct choice. His father had died fighting to prevent a evil penguin from using it to rule over the earth, both humans and animals. That was different, though. He had no idea if his father would have used it to save the Penguin City if he had been in Dmitri's place.

He can only assume his father would have, judging by the stories he had heard. His father was driven to insanity from the grief of what Caspian did to the original Penguin City. Yeah, that must be true. His father would have used the power of the Sun to annihilate the hunters that wanted to capture him and his mother. He knew he would have. Or, maybe he was thinking too deeply.

Why did he even care what his father would have done? He knew he wanted to respect his father's wishes, even though he had never met him, but he wasn't even entirely sure what those were. He knew he shouldn't let that dictate his every move, though. He was his own penguin. He should figure it out on his own. It was just that last part that was beginning to be a struggle for him. Was it good that the humans were gone?

He didn't actually have to respond to Irena as suddenly a click was heard at the door. Irena quickly moved the metal case behind her back, though a few of the chemicals still stayed within view. Dmitri's heart began racing as the door cracked open. The lemur across from them seemed to whimper. Dmitri couldn't be sure what this meant, and wanted to be prepared for anything.

When the door opened most of the way, he didn't see anything. That was at least until a familiar penguin stepped in, his rifle slung over his shoulder. All of the animals remained quiet as the small rockhopper settled before them, just inside the door. He looked the three of them over and then went to remove his rifle.

Dmitri's heart slammed into his throat. Had he been sent on orders to kill them? He looked around the room; there was nothing in his reach he could grab to defend himself. Even then, he was sure Gier was a good shot and would hit him before he could get close. What would the do?

His fear subsided, if only slightly, as the penguin across from him didn't put the rifle's stock to his shoulder or line up a shot. Instead he set the weapon down against the door, and disappeared into the room beyond the closet once more. Dmitri wasn't sure where he had gone, but was too tense to move. He briefly thought about trying to grab the rifle, but then realized he'd have no idea how to use it, even if he got it. Bolting wasn't an option either. They'd have no clue where to run and would probably just be shot in the back.

Gier reappeared, and Dmitri relaxed a bit more as he saw the small rock-hopper was carrying what looked like a stack of open cans. He came up to Dmitri and Irena and set them down, remaining silent. Dmitri reached over and picked one up as Gier disappeared into the room beyond the closet once more. It was small and filled with what smelled like pulverized fish.

Gier reappeared at the doorway, this time holding two bottles of water in his flippers. He rolled one over to Dmitri and Irena. Dmitri picked up the bottle when it came to a rest near him, but didn't immediately move to open it. Gier waddled over to the bound , who seemed terrified but also looked at the small penguin with what almost seemed like hopefulness. Dmitri leaned to see Gier's face as he approached the lemur, and noticed he was gesturing for the lemur to hush.

The penguin then gently removed the duck tape from the lemur's snout, who winced as the adhesive pulled at his fur. The mammal took a deep breath, obviously relieved to have the tape off. Gier then took the cap off the water bottle and held it up for the lemur to drink, who happily accepted. He drank for nearly a full minute, and then Gier set the bottle down. Water dripped off the mammal's chin, but he didn't seem to care.

"Er, penguin," the lemur said as Gier turned his back. The penguin viably flinched at the sound of his voice. "When can—"

"Shhh!" shot the penguin sharply, spinning around. The lemur nearly fell over from surprise and his eyes grew to the size of quarters. Gier glared at him for a moment, and then turned back around to waddle over to where Dmitri and Irena were sitting. Irena already was nibbling at the canned tuna, which she had opened, and Dmitri toyed with the cap of the bottle.

The rockhopper spoke slowly and clearly. "I apologize for my father's judgment. He is... quick to decide what he wants. However, once we capture Skipper, everything will be brought into the light. Then you will be set free."

Gier waddled back to the door, obviously not expecting a response. He stood there for a moment, looking directly back at Dmitri. Dmitri tried to read the penguin's thoughts, but his face was a blank slate. He had no idea what was going through the small rockhopper's head. All he knew now was that the small penguin wasn't necessarily on their side, but he wasn't against them either.

The room hadn't even been quiet for a few moments before the mammal opposite the two penguins spoke up once more. "Please to be passing me some tuna?" It was then that Dmitri realized Gier had not made an effort to replace the lemur's gag. The creature looked at the disheveled penguin expectantly, running his long tongue over the sides of his crooked snout.

Dmitri didn't respond, and instead got up and waddled over to where Gier had left the spent tape. "Oh no, you are not needing to be doing dat," insisted the lemur, but Dmitri roughly wrapped the tape around the mammal's snout anyway. The critter squirmed and shook his head to prevent Dmitri from fastening the tape over his mouth once again.

"I'm not having Buck think we took this off you," Dmitri said.

"Wait!" The lemur choked out. Dmitri gave up on trying to fix the tape; it was no longer sticky and he couldn't get it to stay. Defeated, he tossed the tape aside and began looking for something else he might be able to use.

"Hold on," the lemur insisted, "Don't you dink we could be, you know, helping eachoder a little?"

Dmitri scoffed. "Yeah, the three of us against all of them? I'll take my chances and follow Buck's orders for now."

"You'd be surprised. I'm quite de fighter." When Dmitri didn't respond, he added, "Really, I am."

Dmitri had discovered a small coil of twine a few shelves up, and began to climb for it. It would be perfect for tying the lemur's snout shut. When the penguin was about to pull himself up off the ground, Irena's voice stopped him. "What's the point in shutting him up, anyway? I doubt it's going to change anything Buck has planned for us, anyway."

The penguin turned around, and saw the female once more playing with the chemicals. "That red lemur said he wants to kill you too," she referenced the lemur, "so as far as I can tell, we're all dead in the water. It can't hurt to work together."

Dmitri couldn't help but realize how her speech was directed more towards the mammal and less towards him. She wasn't outright telling him to stop, but she was clearly making an alliance with this new animal. Had she thought that he wouldn't listen to her? He arched his brow slightly, as the lemur responded.

"Dank you very kindly," he said and smiled. "De name is Julien, by de way."

"Irena."

Dmitri paused, looking between the two animals. "Dmitri."

"Pleased to be meeting you," affirmed Julien. "Now, would you kindly be passing me some of dat tuna?"

Irena got up and brought him one of the opened cans, which she set down on a nearby box. She also placed some of the small vials of chemical that she had carried over, there. Then, much to the glee of the lemur, she reached down and began fumbling with the ropes that bound him.

Dmitri felt resistance rising in his throat, like he should say something to stop her. Bucks words still rang fresh in his head. He threatened to kill Irena if they set Julien free. Dmitri wanted to believe he was bluffing, but found enough reason to believe the massive penguin wasn't to cause a fear to rise inside him. Buck obviously wanted him for his connection to his father; Irena didn't have that saving grace. Dmitri couldn't predict what was going to happen to her.

Even so, it was her freeing Julien. Not him. She must know the risks she was taking, he figured. She wasn't dumb, so why stop her?

"Ah, got it," Irena said, and the ropes fell loose around Julien. He immediately stretched out his cramped limbs and then pushed the ropes off of himself. Irena took a seat near him on some of the fallen boxes.

"Much better," Julien announced, then reached for the can of tuna. He then stuck his snout deep inside, hungrily eating the pulverized fish in huge globules.

"Wow," Irena commented. "I thought you mammals eat... not fish."

Julien stopped eating and looked up from the can. "I've, er, acquired a taste for tuna. Besides, what else is dere to be eating around here?" Irena shrugged.

Dmitri decided to take a seat near where he already was, keeping his thoughts to himself. He inspected the lemur as he ate. He was tall and lanky; considerably more scrawny than the defined muscles of Clemson or Buck. Would he be a decent fighter, maybe even just enough for them to escape in the confusion of a scuffle, if it did break out? He wasn't so sure.

"Ah, now I am being full." Julien had finished his tuna and discarded the can behind the boxes. He patted his tummy and looked around, eyes hovering over the female emperor. Dmitri couldn't help but look in her direction as well. She looked bored, almost a bit disappointed. Like she was expecting Buck to barrel down the door and kill her the second she freed Julien.

The lemur picked up one of the small vials of chemical Irena had left. "What's dis?" He peered over the vial's label, holding it up for better light. "It says 'E... tore... fine'".

Dmitri perked up at the sound of the word Julien spoke. He had heard that before. "What did you say?"

"Dis chemical you fishy penguins keep playing with," Julien explained. "It says it is being called Etorefine. What is dat?"

"_Etorphine?_"

"Yeah, I dink so at least."

Dmitri locked eyes with Irena, who also had immediately recognized the name of the tranquilizer that had put him out of commission for several days. Very nearly killed him. It only made sense, Dmitri realized. The darts, the rifle to fire them, and now the deadly chemical. Everything a murderous hunter would need to take down an emperor penguin.

"Give me that," Dmitri said, waddling over and grabbing the vial. He turned to Irena. "Maybe we _can _change what Buck has planned for us."

Irena went to the other side of the closet and grabbed the case of darts, holding it over her chest. "Do you think we'd be able to shoot them with the sleep-bringer?"

Dmitri looked up at the air rifle. It was huge, and even if they could get it set up, in these close quarters he figured it would be useless. "No." He then held the vial over his head like it was a knife, and slammed it down. "But there's no reason we just can't stab them old-fashioned."

"Er, sorry to be de king of butting in," Julien said, "but what is it we are talking about, exactly?"

Dmitri turned to the lemur. "This chemical; it's like poison. We give those jerks a little bit, they'll be asleep for a long time. We give them a lot, and they'll be dead. I got hit with some of this stuff once. It was nasty. It was only because a friend gave me something to counteract it that I survived."

"So we are to be poisoning de Clemmy-son and de other Hoboken animals?"

"That's what it's looking like." Dmitri turned back to Irena. "How many darts are in the case?"

"There's five," she said, counting, "and this one you pulled out earlier makes six."

Dmitri counted off the possibilities in his head. There were six enemy animals, and three of them. That meant that in the worst case, each of them had to successfully stab two of the other animals. "Looks like it's two darts to each of us," he commented.

"One for each paw—or flipper," Julien added.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>I know I've been saying this for a while now, but now we are _really_ on the edge of the end. I hope the climax of this story will deliver everything you readers are hoping for. It's going to be a multi-chapter epic, spanning two continents, and longer than the fight in the Antechamber of _The Speed of Darkness_.

A quick question, for those who are kind enough to offer their opinion: What do you feel about the length of this story so far? Too long? Something I've been wondering myself, lately.


	51. A Matter at Hand

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 50 – A Matter at Hand<strong>

** "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME."**

X held his pistol steady, hovering over the wounded man's temple. He pleaded, trembling, blood still flowing at a frightening rate from his shattered shoulder. He lay flat on his back on the ground, somehow saved from being crushed by the penguins' police cruisers that had barreled into the Swiss cheese sedan. The large man had already taken the convict's weapons away, even though the he made no move to fight back.

"I didn't even want to do it, man. That guy's a freak. He made me do it."

X glanced to his left, where two bodies lay; one still leaned against the steering wheel of the sedan, face unrecognizable. The second rested face down in a pool of his own blood, just inside a nearby habitat. He had checked both for pulses, and they were deader than dirt. It was a shame, really. X figured they were merely being used as distractions.

A glance to his other side revealed a blood-spattered courtyard, where X had attempted to rescue Andrew. Four bodies lay there, but only three of those men were shot by him. X's head was still reeling over the thought that Sigmund had taken out one of his own. It was probably for the better, though. All of the men—including him—could have been taken down in the confusion. Even so, he hadn't seen death on this scale for a very long time.

That didn't mean a threat didn't still remain, though. Doing the math, X realized seven of the thirteen original convicts—including Sigmund—were now out of commission. He might have felt sadness at the loss of life if he didn't know it meant he and Andrew had a fighting chance now. With the right positioning and use of the new weapons they had gained, X figured they had a chance against six more men, if it came down to that.

Overall, X had managed to recover four automatic rifles, a sub machine gun, a pump-action shotgun, a collection of handguns, and a variety of ammunition. It didn't surprise him that the convicts had been loaded up to their ears on munitions; it only was a matter of time before they found some underground, black market gun shop to loot. He also found two riot shotguns; one in the trunk of each of the police cruisers. Plenty of firepower for them to fend off Sigmund's second coming.

X turned his attention back to the task at hand. The wounded convict was quivering and hyperventilating, and X could tell he was on the verge of passing out. He had already lost far too much blood too be saved. There was nothing X could do for him. He was going to die. Even with immediate medical attention, his chances were small. X wasn't going to let him know that, though. There was too much valuable information he needed from the man first

"Where's your leader hiding out?" X asked forcefully.

"I never wanted to do this, man, all I did was get into a few fights. I swear I didn't kill anyone, please, I didn't kill anyone, all I wanted was..." X grunted with frustration. The man was becoming delusional. He was loosing precious seconds.

He pushed the gun against the man's skull, growling, "Where is Sigmund?"

The man tried to speak again, but his words ran together and eventually turned into mush. It was then that X saw blood dot the corners of the man's mouth, and knew he wasn't going to get his question answered. Sighing, he lowered his gun as the man took his last few breaths. X stood and stared at the man until his spasms stopped and eventually he fell silent.

Death didn't bother X anymore; he had seen far too much of it, been far too numbed by the world he lived in for it to have any real affect on him or his psyche. He couldn't help but feel a sense of peace about the dead man, though. Even though the convict had once sought to kill X, that didn't matter. In death, the sins of life have no meaning between humans, X figured. He wouldn't spit on someone's grave.

"You alright?" A voice spoke from behind him, and X turned around to see the stout businessman. He had a loaded handgun in his right hand and what looked like a clipboard in his left. X glanced down and noticed a distinct stain on the man's ruined dress pants; one that hadn't been there before the night's encounter.

"I'm fine. What about you?"

"I'm..." He paused for a moment as he glanced toward the dead man. "Did you get any useful information from him?"

"None. He was already in shock before I got the chance to question him." X took a moment to holster his gun, then picked up the dead man's from the ground where it lay near him. He pumped the barrel and an empty shell popped out of the chamber. X didn't remember hearing or seeing the wounded man having a chance to fire a shot at him, so that meant only one thing. "Damn bastard shot himself."

Andrew blinked dumbly for a moment, as if he was rationalizing the idea. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Maybe an accident when he was running for cover. These men weren't trained to handle this weaponry."

Andrew nodded. It was then that four familiar figures waddled out from the darkness to stand around Andrew's feet. Their faces were illuminated by the red and blue glow from the nearby police cruisers, and X noticed how they seemed to look up at him expectantly.

"Good, the penguins are here. That makes it a helluva lot easier for us to pack them up and get out of here," X observed, assuming Green was thinking the same thing. He tossed the spent shotgun aside and began making his way for the van.

"Not immediately," the businessman returned, making X freeze and spin on the spot.

"What now? It ain't gonna be long before Sigmund realizes there ain't any cops actually here." Andrew held out the clipboard, and X took it. Using the floodlights on his van, he was able to read it.

_The zoo's resident lemur, Julien, has been abducted by hostile animals and the penguins need Officer X's help to rescue him._

The note was followed by a crude picture of the aforementioned lemur and an address. The last thing on the note was a list: _dolphin, walrus, boa constrictor, lemur, penguins armed with guns. _The list was titled _hostile animals._

X looked up from the clipboard at Andrew, whose face remained blank. X no longer had his sunglasses to hide the disbelief in his eyes. Did Andrew really think they were going to go on some wild goose chase to save some lemur?

"Before you say anything," the businessman started, "I know what you're thinking, and hear me out on this one. The penguins have only agreed to come with us if we make sure the lemur is safe on our way out of town. The building where he's being held up is only a few blocks away. We could be in, out, and on our way before Sigmund even knew that we'd left."

X raised a brow. "What do you mean, '_they agreed_'?"

"It seems they're pretty good at negotiating. They knew what we had planned before the attack, and were planning on giving us this proposal for some time."

X looked down at the four penguins, who continued to look up at him with anticipation. They shifted slightly in their places as he stared at them, and then—ever so subtly—the flat-headed one gave a nod of its head. At this point, it didn't surprise him.

"So we send this lemur back to the zoo safe, and the birds come with us?" X asked.

"Precisely."

X sighed loudly and rubbed the back of his bald head. "I guess we're going to rescue that critter, then. The hardest part will be finding it, I'm sure."

The penguins seemed satisfied with this response, and they all smiled. Then they turned to each other, exchanged what X could only describe as high-fives, and waddled away. It took him a minute to rationalize that he'd just negotiated a deal with a quartet of birds, and much in the same way that he did with his employers back in his mercenary days. Some things never change, he guessed.

X looked back toward Andrew, who looked uneasy. X had expected him to smile at the ease of negotiating their ticket out of danger. Probably shaken by Sigmund, during the skirmish, he figured. X remembered a time in the past where he had been brought to his knees in the dust, a pistol digging into his skull, thinking his life was almost over. It hadn't turned out as pretty as it did for Andrew, but least he hadn't wet himself. That was something.

"Good," the stout man commented. "I've got to go take care of something before we leave. I'll be right back."

X grunted. "Hurry. Sigmund's bound'ta be back any minute. Whatever you do, don't let that gun out of your sight."

The other man glanced down at the death-bringer. "Yeah."

As Andrew moved away, another presence made itself known. It was the chestnut otter, the one that had directed X in an effort to tactically overtake the convicts. While it hadn't been enough on it's own, it likely had provided the delay necessary for the penguins to show up with the police cruisers in time. In the otter's paws was a strange item, something that looked a bit like a miniature crown. She came up to the man and held the bundle of plastic and green leaves up as if she wanted him to take it.

X bent over and grabbed the crown. It was nearly small enough that he could clasp his hand around it. Some squeaking drew his attention back down to the mammal, who seemed to be trying to tell him something. He knew her concern, though. Alice had introduced him to this otter and her lemur mate, and had mentioned how close they were. This crown must have belonged to the lemur, he figured. X could understand the otter's worry the mammal they were about to go save.

He keeled and looked into the otter's hazel eyes. "I'll send him home for ya, if I can. I ain't makin' no promises though."

The otter looked sad for a moment, and X noticed she started to realize she understood his words. If the penguins did, why not all the animals? The otter nodded slowly, as she too realized promises like that were irrational.

"Thanks for helping me out before," X added. "You really saved my ass."

The otter pricked her ears, and X swore he saw a smile. Then she scampered off back into the night, presumably toward her habitat. He looked down at the tiny crown in his hand. Between the penguins' apparent care for this lemur and the otter's concern, he felt a conviction rising inside him. He was going to try his damnedest to get that lemur back.

* * *

><p>"Hot dog!" Exclaimed Skipper, throwing his flippers into the air as he walked. The smile on his face was wide, something that Private hadn't seen from the leader-penguin in a long time. "I didn't know you could hotwire vehicles so fast, Kowalski. And great driving, too, everyone."<p>

Kowalski and Rico mumbled some thanks, while Private remained silent. The happiness that seemed to have broken out between the group felt foreign to him, and he wasn't entirely sure how to react. Why were they so happy? Sure, they now had some crucial help in rescuing Julien, but that didn't mean Julien was suddenly safe. There was still a long road ahead of them. They hadn't even found the lemur's exact location, for Pete's sake.

And even if they did manage to rescue Julien, that was only the tip of the iceberg. Maybe not for the three other penguins, but it definitely was for Private. He needed Julien rescued to help him take down Kowalski while deflecting Rico, and Hans was already hiding in the shadows to help him fend off Skipper. At least that had been his plan up until at little less than twenty four hours ago. Now, Kowalski was supposed to sacrifice himself willingly in defense of him, or something like that.

_Really, that doesn't change a thing_. _Kowalski has going to die, and I'm going to see to it that he does._

His plan was coming together, he realized. After Julien was rescued, the three of them could regroup. Then they could determine their plan of attack. When Kowalski was in binds and they were free from Skipper and Rico, they could determine what needed to be done to bring the humans back. At least that would be the way he'd work it, if it hadn't been for one little blurb in the plan.

"Skippah," Private spoke up, causing the leader to stop and face him. "Were you serious about agreeing with Green and X to leave the zoo?"

The other two penguins turned to their leader curiously. They hadn't had time to discuss it as a group, since it had been proposed by the stout man shortly after reading the note on Kowalski's clipboard. Skipper analyzed the smaller bird for a moment, and Private found himself feeling surprisingly uncomfortable. Not unlike when he was part of the quartet.

"We'll do what we have to. If we have to leave the zoo for a while, so be it. You saw those men coming after Green. If we don't leave, he's going to stay with us, and then they'll get to him. We can't scare them off forever."

"Are you sure leaving the zoo is a good idea?" Kowalski responded. "You just informed the residents we'd be sticking around to provide them with some type of protection."

"_Yeah_," Rico added.

Skipper crossed his flippers. "These are turbulent times. The water is choppy. Are we going to sink or swim?"

Private lowered his brow. If they left the zoo, it would be far more difficult to carry out his plan. Hans couldn't follow them long and Julien would most likely go back to the zoo instead of coming with. He _needed_ them back to the zoo, even if for only a short while.

"Are we really going to side with a man who, less than a day ago, we thought was plotting to kill us?" Private decided to avoid pointing the question at Kowalski. Making Rico feel included was a good idea, he figured. "Green is a good friend, but now he's grown close to Officer X. If we go with Green, we go with the dark man."

Skipper was quick to respond. "X is no longer a threat. You heard Kowalski."

"Yes, X is no longer an enemy," the intellectual responded, "but calling him an ally is hasty and dangerous. We have friends at the zoo who need our help more, Skipper."

"_Stay with zoo, no waddah leave_," Rico blabbered.

"You know we can't just up and leave," Private added.

Skipper's crystal blue eyes bounced between the three other penguins as he contemplated the responses. Private wasn't entirely sure he'd listen to them at all, but was glad to at least hear Kowalski and Rico were on his side. They _needed_ to come back to the zoo.

"If we do that, this is how things are going to go. We'll sneak away from Green and Officer X after we rescue Julien, and come back to the zoo. They're not going to be too happy about that, though, so they'll probably follow us back. And if that's the case, we have to deal with those maniacs who are after them. I don't know if we can pull it off again."

"So you're saying, if we come back to the zoo, we're going to be basically handing them over to their enemies?" Kowalski concluded.

"That's how I see it. I don't know what those guys want with our human buddies, but they don't look like they want to play nice. If you think about it, the zoo animals will probably be able to live on without us. If we do return, however, Officer X and Andrew probably won't. I don't personally care much about X, but Green's saved our lives once already."

The three penguins didn't immediately respond. Private didn't think any of them had thought of it that way before. He certainly didn't. He needed the quartet to return to the zoo with Julien, but he wasn't immediately sure if that was worth sacrificing the life of the man who he was told had faith in him when everyone else thought he was dead. If Green hadn't of hauled his ass out of the Antechamber, he would be.

Thankfully, Rico spoke up and he didn't have to. "_Zoo is family._"

This sparked a response from Kowalski. "That is correct. The animals at this zoo have entrusted us to guide and protect them, Skipper, particularly through this time without humans. Green is a smart man. He will figure a way out of this."

Skipper huffed. "As long as we don't go on another wild goose chase through the city looking for a couple of police squads. I seriously doubt that would work again."

Private nodded. He knew what he needed, and someone was going to loose any way they tried to wing it. They couldn't save Julien, guide the zoo animals, and protect Green all at the same time. Private knew he needed to back what would give him the greatest opportunity to get at Kowalski while giving Hans an opportunity to get at Skipper. Now that the matter was settled, he decided it was a time to update his puffin friend.

"I'll meet you guys at the HQ," he said, and the other three looked at him. "I want to update Maurice on what our plan is."

"Okay," Skipper agreed quickly, "but hurry. We're leaving as soon as the humans are ready to go."

Skipper turned to waddle away, but Kowalski and Rico still looked at him. He felt awkward for a moment, particularly when his gaze met the intellectual penguin's. Kowalski was studying him; probably coming up with some conclusions about his motives. When he made a motion to move away, the tall penguin turned to follow his leader. Rico, however, still looked at him.

"_Pr'vate,_" he wheezed, drawing the small bird's attention. Rico waddled up to him and put a flipper on his back. "_We get Julien, then you come back team. 'Kay?"_

Private didn't immediately respond. What would he say? Through everything, he had never thought Rico would still hold onto the idea that the quartet could be reformed. Not after what had happened that day the heavyset bird threw that tuna at him. Private had told him that it was over. Did the explosives expert not believe him?

"Uh," he stuttered over his own words, and Rico's flipper felt hot against his back. "Rico, I don't know if Skippah wants me back."

The heavy bird pushed him jokingly, removing his flipper. "_Skip'r want you back. Make the team whole. Right?"_

Private lowered his brow suddenly, offended. Rico wasn't even considering his side of the story. He was assuming Private _wanted_ to be part of the team again, and that the only thing that was preventing him from coming back was Skipper. The heavyset bird didn't seem to think his opinion made any sort of difference. "Maybe the skippah does want me back. That doesn't change what he did, Rico." Private put a flipper to his scar, which still stung, to back his point.

Rico's face darkened at what Private said, and he turned away harshly. Private wasn't surprised. Rico always thought things were better than they actually were, and when they went south, he avoided them. Often that led to him dismissing Private as too young, too naïve, too confused, too weak. Always some excuse that negated the blame from being placed on him, or on those that hurt him. Maybe Rico was trying to protect him, but Private knew that he needed to learn something.

Sometimes people need to be held responsible for their actions.

Rico had already disappeared into the night, so Private decided to head to the lemur enclosure. When there, he entered the alcove under Julien's throne rock. Inside was Mort and Maurice, eating what looked like a puree of various fruits. They looked up from their bowls and greeted him as he entered.

"Where's Hans?" Private asked.

"Around," Maurice commented, simply. "He doesn't really like to stay put."

A voice sounded from behind Private, making him spin around. In the entrance was the puffin, his broken wing still braced. "Why would I? I need to be sure zat everyzing is still going according to plan, no?"

"You were snooping around?" Private asked. The bird nodded. He racked his brain for any time he spotted the bird in bushes or under benches around the zoo, spying on them, but could think of none. The bird was certainly stealthy. He figured warning him to be careful was unnecessary. Hans new the risk he was taking.

"Stealing zose police cars was quite impressive, Mr. Private. You penguins are more resourceful zan I thought."

"I'm guessing you know why we did it?" The bird nodded again. "Good, then I don't have to bring you up to speed."

"Of course not. But I have one question, Mr. Private." Private signaled him to continue. "After Mr. Ringtail is rescued, how will we go about executing our plan?"

Private's face fell blank. He honestly hadn't thought that far ahead. The whole Julien-being-kidnapped and the new, more confusing prophesy from the Sun had prevented him from thinking it out. "I have no idea," he admitted, "but we can worry about that later, when Julien is safe."

Hans clicked his tongue. "Mr. Private, why won't you learn the error of your ways? Thinking only one step ahead is what nearly lead to me gouging Mr. Maurice's eyes out."

"You wouldn'ta gotten the chance," Maurice added defensively from the other side of the cave.

Hans smiled. "You need to plan your moves several steps in advance. Come. I'll tell you what I mean."

The bird walked out of the cave, and Private took a moment to glance at Maurice and Mort. "He's right you know," Maurice said, causing Private to scoff and wave a flipper.

* * *

><p>Private followed his ally for some time, being careful to make sure they weren't at risk of being discovered by the other penguins or some of the zoo animals. They made their way through the zoo to the ruined wall that Officer X had patched up. There was a hole that had been left in the repair work; too small for a human to squeeze through but more than big enough for the two birds to use as a portal.<p>

Hans led Private through central park for a short while, a gentle night-time breeze rustling the branches of the storm-battered trees. Finally they came to what looked like a tool shack, something that Private recognized the human gardeners to use. Hans pushed the flimsy wooden door open easily, and Private noted a broken padlock on the ground nearby.

The inside was illuminated poorly, only by moon and starlight drifting in through the open doorway. Thankfully Hans picked up a flashlight from the ground nearby that he must have left earlier. When he flicked it on, Private got a gander at what his plan was.

"Fireworks?" He asked.

"Yes. A fitting demise for Skipper. Ze other penguin—Rico, was it?—could go up, too."

"Wait," Private said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You want to use these fireworks to blow up Skipper and Rico?"

Hans simply nodded.

"What... I mean, how?"

Hans shined the flashlight to a spot on the ground where a large pile of firework rockets lay. It looked to Private like their shells had been torn open and something was taken from inside. Then he saw a large container filled with what looked like black powder.

"I have been collecting ze explosives from zese rockets for most of the day," Hans explained. "I will soon have enough to create a bomb big enough to blow up an enclosed space, like a shack or an exhibit."

Private just stared at the bird, blinking. He wasn't immediately sure why his beak was frozen shut. Maybe it was because he thought this was a bit... drastic. But then he realized something. It's exactly what he wanted.

"You need me to lure Skipper and Rico into a small place, so you can detonate the charge and... kill them," he concluded.

Hans smiled. "I knew you were bright, Mr. Private. Misguided, but bright. If you and Mr. Ringtail can help me smuggle zis black powder into the zoo, I can handle ze rest. Then, I'll inform you when ze trap is set. You bring Skipper and Mr. Rico in, and—" the bird brought his good wing up as he made the sound of an explosion.

"And then I can use the confusion to get to Kowalski." Hans nodded.

Private tapped his beak thoughtfully. Actually, it was a damn good plan. He couldn't find any immediate flaws in it. If Hans did a good job of placing the bomb out of sight, Skipper and Rico wouldn't be able to react in time to save themselves. And all he needed to do was get them in there; it could be as easy as saying he'd meet them in Alice's office at a designated time when he really wasn't going to.

The plan was foolproof, he thought. Except he hadn't considered one consequence. And that was that he'd be _blowing his ex-friends sky high_. Even through his hatred of Skipper, the idea alarmed him. And even if Rico was a little overly optimistic, he certainly didn't deserve to die just because he'd try to protect Kowalski. And, if nothing else, they were once his _friends_, dammit.

What about that salute Skipper had given him after the quarrel with Buck? Wasn't that a sign of a potentially better future? And then there was his discussion with Kowalski, where the intellectual had begged him to come give Skipper a talk on morality. Didn't that mean Kowalski might be accepting his fate? And Rico certainly just wanted them all to be friends again. Private started to feel dizzy with all these sudden fears and contradictions to his plan assaulting him. He had dreamed about carrying out this plan and bring back the humans, yes, but now he was actually on the verge of _doing it_. Saying and doing were two entirely different things.

Private glanced up and realized that at some point he had taken a seat against the side of the wooden shack. Hans was now standing over him, but he couldn't hear what he was saying. His ears were ringing intensely and all he could hear was his own thoughts. Was he really about to agree to the deaths of the individuals he once called family?

Then, a flood of memories returned to him. The Sun's words. "_Six billion lives are on the shoulders of you and your friend, Private._" Six billion lives. All of the humans besides those that had been somehow spared. A vision came to him, and he saw the little girl he had been entertaining shortly before the mass absorption. Now she was floating in a void somewhere, about to be subject to whatever _the purge_ meant, and he was going to let that happen because he won't kill a couple of penguins that he once was close to? Penguins that he was sure he now despised?

He knew it. He knew it had to be done. Hans' plan was a good one. And hey, maybe it all made sense now. The wall of flame, at least. Maybe that was what the Sun was trying to show him in the dream. The wall of flame that had engulfed all those human souls floating inside of it. Maybe it symbolized an explosion, meant to aid him in his goal to get the humans back. Maybe that didn't explain why in the dream Kowalski had stopped it with his voice, but hell, Hans' plan certainly made a lot more sense than that.

Finally, Private felt himself come back to the real world. Hans was looking at him with concern, shining the bright light into his eyes. He batted the flashlight away as his ears finally stopped ringing.

"Your plan is a good one," he agreed, standing back up. Hans looked at him intently as he dusted himself off. "We'll set up the charges in Alice's office. I'll call a meeting there with Skipper and Rico. Right before the charges go off, Julien and I will pull Kowalski out. Then you blow it when we're clear and that'll be it."

"How will you get Kowalski out without Skipper and Mr. Rico trying to stop you?" Hans asked.

"The human you saw us rescue today—Officer X—he's got some specialized explosives called flashbangs that explode not to kill, but to blind and deafen. We'll toss one in, and when it goes off we'll be able to get Kowalski out before the other two know what hit 'em."

Hans nodded, a wicked smile on his face.


	52. A Final Task

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 51 – A Final Task<strong>

**"WHERE'D YOU GO?"**

Alexander asked the question of his colleague as he returned to the van, which X had nearly finished loading up. He had grabbed all of the weapons he could find and stashed them neatly in the back, out of harms way. He didn't want the remaining convicts getting their hands back on them, and an arsenal of the size they had found wasn't of use to just two men. He put an assault rifle and a shotgun in the cab of the vehicle, loaded and ready for action.

Andrew looked distracted as he returned. He was looking at something which he had cupped in both hands. His face was blank, but behind the man's crooked glasses X could see his eyes shimmer. "I had to say goodbye," he responded simply when he saw X looking at him. He showed X that he was holding Alice Smith's name tag in his hands. "This zoo—and the animals in it—meant everything to her. She would have stayed with it until it burned to the ground." He glared at one of the dead men that X hadn't bothered to move. "Now it's been defiled." The man clenched the flimsy plastic name tag in his hand.

"Don't be ridiculous," X said, startling the man. "She wasn't stupid. If she knew your life was in danger, she'da left with you. A zoo ain't worth your lives."

The businessman looked sadly downward. "I suppose you're right. The most important part is that the penguins are coming with us, at least. If they weren't, I might have to stay."

X raised a brow, crossing his massive arms. "You think she would have risked her life and yours for some penguins?"

The wide man shook his head. "If she was in my shoes right now, she would have done it in a heartbeat to have a chance at getting me back."

"You mean this Sun thing."

Andrew looked back up. "It hadn't crossed my mind that maybe there is a way to get her back until you brought it up. After that, though, I really began to think about it. I saw the Sun annihilate a man right before my eyes. I know the power that it possesses. I also know it's mysterious. Who knows what else it can do? Maybe with a little bit of experimentation I can figure out a way to crack its secrets. Maybe I can find a way to bring Alice—and everyone else—back.

"I have to at least try. What else is there to live for?"

X didn't respond. He had already accepted that Sun may exist, for whatever reason, as it made a lot more sense than what he could come up with. He wasn't so sure that what it did would be so easily reversed, though. Still, the man had his priorities straight, and crazier things had happened over the past few weeks.

"You really love her, don't you?" X asked.

Andrew nodded. "Nobody I've ever met challenges me like she does. When I first met her, I hated it. But the more I got to know her, the more I realized how much I needed that. I've lived my entire life at the top. I just needed someone to bring me back down to Earth."

The massive man nodded in agreement. He could relate. After working for the government, after all the missions, after he had gained more money than he could ever spend, more contacts and resources that he could ever make use of, he had continued to seek work for the same reason. Each new task was a mountain to be conquered. It was no different that day he was approached with the task of destroying a research facility in Harmony, Maine.

Then he realized something. He had thought that challenge was over those ten long years ago, when the building went up in flames and took all the researchers with it. That wasn't the challenge, though. That was the spark that started it. His true challenge was something he had never faced before. Something that was much harder for him than sniping some politician from three-hundred yards.

Making amends with that tall penguin was what sealed the deal. That day at the power plant, when X had spared the penguin's life by no more than a few millimeters, was what showed it that whatever happened in the past was over. X had no vendetta, and the bird wasn't threatened. Maybe he could never truly made amends for the lives he took that day, and maybe after everything with the Sun was over he'd never see the bird again. But what was important was done. The task had been completed.

And he had forgiven himself.

"I can't rely that I'd be able to do much with the Sun, based on what I've seen. I feel the chances of bringing everyone back are greatly increased by having them with us," Andrew said, referencing the penguins and drawing X's attention back.

He smiled. "I'm sure they'll get what you need done."

The rookery appeared then, looking at the two humans expectantly. X looked down at the tall penguin in particular, who no longer avoided eye contact with him. The task was complete. "Good, they're here. Let's get out of here before the Torturer shows his ugly mug."

X let the penguins jump into the back of the van, where they looked around curiously and then secured themselves for the trip ahead. X then hopped in the cab, where Andrew was waiting in the passenger seat. He had the clipboard in his hands. "I know where this place is," he said, referencing the address the penguins had left for them. "I used to get groceries there from time to time. It's a little convenience store called Marthe's Food Mart."

X nodded, then hit the button on the dashboard that extended the bulldozer-like plow on the front of the van. It clunked into place, and he put the van in gear. Andrew set the clipboard down on the dash and he glanced at it, noticing _hostile animals _once more.

* * *

><p>The van lurched to motion, sending equipment that X had hung from various hooks and shelves around the van into motion. As they swung, Private tried to make out what might be a flashbang grenade. He had heard X talking about them with Andrew, but had not explicitly seen one. There were a couple shapes and sizes of what he could tell were explosives, but he wanted to make sure he had the right one.<p>

Maybe the type of grenade was written on the side, he thought. Then Julien would be able to help him identify which one he needed. In his mind he visualized the bright flash... Rico, Kowalski, and Skipper reeling with shock from being blinded and deafened... racing in and pulling Kowalski out... the fireball going up. Yes, Hans plan was going to work. All he needed was for this rescue to go without a hitch.

Nothing much was said for the duration of the trip. The penguins kept themselves busy by examining various pieces of X's equipment, but Private could tell none of them were actually interested in it. A few times his eyes met with Rico's, and the scarred bird expressed his disgust in what Private had said. Had he really been so sure Private wanted to rejoin the team?

The trip seemed to drag on for some time, but Private knew the destination wasn't far. Eventually the van ceased moving, and they moved toward the back of it. X opened the door for them and the hopped out to reveal a very familiar alleyway.

"We've been here before," Skipper said for all of them as Private felt a wave of nostalgia roll over him. It was as if he could see the grieving pigeon in the corner, bent over her dead husband, murdered by an insane bird who had lost everything.

"That can only mean..." Skipper's voice trailed off as they rounded the corner of the van. As Private expected, he saw a dark storefront glaring back at him. It was clear that one of the windows was much newer than the others. The one Rico had smashed in their hasty retreat, after they stole the tuna. He risked a glance at Rico, who didn't glare at him. Instead, the heavyset bird looked at the building as though he was confused.

"Private, you're sure this is the place?" Skipper asked him.

Private about-faced, his ex-leader's scrutinizing eyes greeting him with disbelief. "Yes. I saw the Hoboken animals go in and out of it many times." He told the lie with sincerity; it was ever-increasingly easy to do so.

"Alright then. We have no idea if Julien is even in the building, but this is our only lead. We need to get some recon on, and then we can make a plan. It looks quiet over there, so we should be able to circle the building without being detected. Keep your eyes peeled. We're looking for any indcation of where Julien's being held, or where Buck's troops are. Kowalski and I will take the left alley, Rico and Private you take the right. Any questions?"

Private glanced again at his ex-teammate, who was now looking at him. His glare was gone, and he seemed startled. Sort of like he had seen a ghost.

"No sir," Kowalski answered, and Private decided to echo him. No need to let his unease show, he realized.

Skipper turned to Andrew and X, who were standing nearby. They were both brandishing their weapons threateningly. "You go ahead, and direct us where to go when you're ready," Andrew told the flat-headed penguin, and he nodded.

"Operation: Rescue Julien is a-go!" Skipper called, and they split up.

The alleyways on each side of the building were narrow and crowded with various piles of refuse. It was nearly pitch black, and Private had to squint to make out any details. The star and moonlight were blocked by the buildings on either side. The small penguin waddled slowly, being careful not to trip over anything and make a noise. They were in the hot seat now, and once they alerted the Hobokeners to their location, they would forever loose their advantage of surprise.

Rico waddled a short distance in front of him. Private could tell the bird was focused on what they came to do and not on any conflict between them. The small bird figured that was a good thing; Rico could have potentially used the time alone to continue trying to convince him to come back on the team. They couldn't risk using their voices, though, and Rico knew that. When a sound echoed down the alleyway Rico held up his flipper to halt him.

The sound stopped, and a few moments of silence followed. When Rico was sure it was safe to continue, he waved his flipper. Private was on edge, though. One wrong move could put all of their lives at risk.

He glanced around, and noticed a window on the side of the building. It was fairly high up, but it was the first detail he had seen on it, yet. The rest had been smooth brick. There was a pile of garbage on top of a dumpster he realized he could use to get close to it. He'd have to be careful, though. If he knocked one tin can down, it would ruin everything.

He signaled his intention to Rico by giving him a quick tap on the shoulder. The bird turned and looked up to where Private gestured. He nodded his approval, and Private moved to climb the pile of trash. It stunk, but he ignored it as best as he could. The important thing was to see what was on the other side of the window. Rico kept watch at the bottom.

The climb was slow, as Private had to search for steady flipperholds and footholds that wouldn't send the unsteady pile toppling. When he finally reached the top, he realized that the window was still a distance from his reach. Just above and to the right of his vision, he figured. If he had something extra to stand on, he could reach it.

He took a look around, seeing a plastic crate precariously perched on the corner of the dumpster. He climbed down to it and grabbed it. Awkwardly, he was able to carry it with him back up to the top. He set it there, pushing it a little ways into the mound of garbage to steady it. He tested it with a flipper to ensure it was safe before climbing onto it.

With the extra boost from the crate, he was able to see the window. It was made of glass-blocks, and was thick. Only a little light came from inside, and it was distorted. He pushed his flippers against the glass to improve his vision. There was definitely movement on the other side of the window. He was able to make out a set of figures. One, two, three. Maybe more, but at least three. But was it who he was looking for?

One of the figures seemed to stand, and the light from inside hit its face in just a way that Private was able to make out some details. Bingo. He'd recognize that monochrome fur and lanky frame anywhere. Julien was inside. He wasn't sure who the other two figures were, but the lemur seemed to be trapped in a closet.

Suddenly, the crate Private was on shifted. He gasped with surprise, reaching for something to steady himself. There was nothing on the smooth side of the building, though, and the create fell out from under him. He went after it, tumbling down the pile of trash and scattering various cans, bottles, and boxes. He braced himself, preparing to hit the concrete at the bottom of the pile. But that didn't come. Instead, he felt soft feathers touch his own.

The small bird opened his eyes to see Rico. The large bird had caught him. He set Private down and glared at him; obviously upset about the racket. A few bottles came to a rest near them, and then the air fell silent once more. Rico shook his head in disappointment. Private hoped either the Hobokeners hadn't heard that or maybe they thought it was just a raccoon scavenging.

"Julien's on the other side of the window," Private whispered.

"_Really? Anyone else?_"

"Two unidentified individuals, not sure if hostile or friendly."

Private looked over Rico's shoulder to see Skipper and Kowalski approaching. They must have finished their round around the building.

"What was that noise?" Skipper asked when he was close. Rico pointed at Private, causing Skipper to glare.

"I've found Julien," Private said, trying to forget about the clatter for now. He gestured to the window. "He's in the room opposite that glass."

Skipper looked up to it and rubbed his beak. "It's too high up for us to do anything with, even if we could somehow break it without alerting the Hobokeners. And then we'd be lucky if Julien could fit through it." He turned to his strategist. "Kowalski, options."

The intellectual took a moment to scan over the window and its surroundings. "I concur that the window is not of much use to us, other than identifying the room Julien is in. Based on the previous time we infiltrated this building, though, I'd say our best chance is to access the hatch on the roof of the building and try to locate Julien from the inside."

"What are our chances that they heard that racket?" Skipper asked.

"Small. The sound wouldn't carry through this brick. Even if they did, they're not likely to make much of it."

The leader nodded. "Good. We'll let X and Green know of our plan and then move in. Rico, do you have some rope for us?"

The large bird Responded by hacking up the requested length of rope, not much unlike the last time they were there. Private couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia overcome him. This was the kind of thing they would be doing on a daily basis, before everything with the Sun. Rico coiled the rope around his flipper.

"Excellent," Skipper offered. "Move out!"

They made quick time back to the van, making sure to check the storefront for activity on their way. It was just as dark and quiet as before, and Private was reassured his blunder had gone unnoticed.

Without any way of writing down their intentions, it was a bit difficult to describe them to X and Andrew when they returned to the van. The two men looked at each other in a confused manner, and eventually Private just waddled toward the storefront, waving a flipper over his head. The two men got the hint and followed, crouching down outside the store's front windows in response to Private's motions. Skipper nodded then, and the men returned the gesture. They were going to try to make an escape through the main door. If anything went awry, the two men could come out guns blazing.

The quartet made their way around to the side of the building where the drainage pipe existed. Private recalled how he had struggled to climb it the last time they had been here. Skipper gestured to him to go first, so he latched onto the cool metal with his flippers and hauled himself up.

He would have thought the task would grow easier, with all the training and fighting he had endured since the tuna heist, but it actually seemed _harder_. His flippers quivered with strain and his body ached by the time he was halfway up. He didn't glance down as he knew Skipper's scrutinizing eyes were below him. He couldn't show any sign of weakness. Not now.

Agonizingly, the small penguin pulled himself over the top of the roof. He did his best to control his breathing, so that Skipper and the others wouldn't suspect the task of climbing onto the roof had been as daunting as it was. They made their way for the familiar hatch behind the air conditioning unit. Skipper opened it slowly and carefully, trying to quiet the squeal of the resistant hinges. Kowalski took a quick peek inside to make sure there was no movement, then signaled to Rico that it was okay to drop the rope inside.

The leader penguin tied the rope off, and then moved to climb down. It wasn't vocalized that they should keep their eyes peeled and be as quiet as possible. They all knew that, even though the Hoboken animals weren't in direct view, they could be around any one of the shelves. They had to take full advantage of the element of surprise they possessed. For this reason all four pairs of eyes were wide, all eight flippers in defensive stances. Any slip up now could cost them their lives, and they all knew it.

As the last of them cautiously came to a rest on the cold linoleum of the grocery store, the coast seemed clear. Private could catch no glimpse of movement, no sound of shuffling an aisle over. Skipper made a motion to head to the side of the building where they had seen the room that held Julien, and they moved quietly and carefully in synchronization; one unstoppable force. _Just like old times_.

Private took up the rear as they moved, and he suddenly he heard what he believed to be a box or container falling in an adjacent aisle. He paused momentarily, looking around. There was no movement, no additional sound, and the other three penguins continued waddling so he figured it was his imagination. He hurried to meet up with the others, who had gathered outside a door.

"This the one?" Skipper asked, barely audibly. Kowalski nodded in return. He had to hop up onto Rico's shoulders to reach the door handle. None of the four were surprised when he discovered it was locked. Without being asked, Rico quietly regurgitated a lock-pick and passed it up to his leader, who wasted no time in attempting to force the door open.

* * *

><p>"What's dat?" the lemur asked, hearing the gentle clinking of metal coming from the door.<p>

"I hear it too," Irena responded.

Dmitri looked up from the two sleep-bringing darts he held in his flippers. The sound grew louder, and he was sure he even saw the doorknob shake. "Looks like this is going down sooner than we thought."

Julien lowered his brow and clutched his darts. "Get ready."

* * *

><p>"Almost there," Skipper whispered, "just a few tumblers left."<p>

Suddenly, a low whir was heard from just outside Private's field of vision. He tensed up, whispering, "We've got company."

Kowalski was to his left, and the tall bird didn't seem alarmed. Instead, he took a couple of steps forward as the threat made itself known—it was the bottle-nose dolphin and his strange scooter. Private scanned him over for anything that might be a danger to them. A weapon, something to alarm the others. There didn't seem to be any, but Private remembered how those mechanical arms had emerged from the scooter to pick up Buck. He remained on edge; there was no way to predict the dolphin's actions. He needed a way to take it down and shut it up quickly, but how?

Rico growled softly from behind him and the tinkering sound of Skipper's lock pick disappeared.

Kowalski seemed to have a different plan in mind. "Emilio," he said softly, "this doesn't concern you." The sound of Skipper's lock picking returned.

The dolphin halted, and his brow lowered in an angry fashion. "How could you bring _him_ here, to our sanctuary?"

Kowalski didn't immediately respond, and Private wondered what in the world the dolphin was talking about. He was sure that Emilio wasn't entirely on Buck's side, based on his actions around Kowalski, but that didn't explain this behavior. Who was he referencing? He bent his knees a bit, prepared to attack if needed. If anything happened to Kowalski, all of this would be for naught.

"He's a different human now," the intellectual finally returned. "At the power plant... he missed on purpose."

Private got it now. X—Emilio must have spotted him.

"That automatically is payment for his sins?" Emilio seethed. Private could feel the heat from his glare, even though it was not directed at him.

"No, it isn't."

"Damn straight it doesn't. Don't worry though, I know he's not camped outside with a rifle because you're buddy-buddy with him. He's here to kill is all, if you deem it necessary for your little rescue."

"Julien is a good friend of ours," Kowalski responded quickly. Private heard the urgency to keep the situation calm in his voice.

"So you seal one friend's grave, to keep another's open for a short while longer."

"I instructed—"

Blowhole shhed Kowalski with a flipper to his snout. The area fell silent. Private felt his heart thumping in his ears, and finally realized just how tense the situation had become.

Then, a gunshot rang out.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note: <strong>So as you can see, all of the story arcs in this story are finally merging. Everyone wants something, and not everyone is going to get what they want.

I decided I want to follow a more structured update cycle; one that offers predictable updates with more revised content. So from here on out I'm going to release chapters on Saturdays weekly. This way you'll see the end of this story by the end of the summer for sure.


	53. A Bringer of Death

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 52 – A Bringer of Death<strong>

**"GOD DAMMIT!"**

The bullet had come from an unknown location, and had passed clean through his leg. The bandage he had used to wrap up the wound from the ricochet was already stained a deep red. He clutched his calf tightly as pain and shock traveled up his limb and made itself known.

Andrew was over him, confused and terrified. He raised his shotgun and spun around wildly. "Get your head down!" X shouted, and Andrew hesitated before complying. His eyes were the size of quarters as he crouched and aimed his weapon at the darkness.

"Where did that come from?"

"Hell if I know. We gotta get to cover," X instructed, then tried to shift his weight so he could stand. His leg refused to support the weight, though. The bullet had done some serious damage, possibly even shattered the bone. He gritted his teeth and gave up on trying to force himself to his feet.

"The van's too far away, but there's a dumpster just around the corner," the businessman observed.

"Make it happen," X instructed, then tried to shift his weight again. If he couldn't walk, dammit, he was going to crawl. Andrew noticed his struggle and reached down to tug at his shoulder with a grubby hand. X forced gave a brute roll of his shoulder to force it away. "No. Cover me and I'll drag myself there."

The stout man didn't respond, instead he obeyed X's command by raising the barrel of the shotgun again, jabbing it forward into the dark of the night. X rolled onto his stomach and army-crawled forward, as Andrew took gradual steps backwards. It was painfully slow, as X only had one knee to work with. A few tense moments passed before another gun blast was heard; this one far closer and far louder. When the ringing in X's ears cleared, he realized it had been Andrew. He quickly took a glance behind him and saw a man fall to the ground, clutching his shoulder.

"It's Sigmund's men," Andrew observed.

X had seen the man's orange jumpsuit, too. "Let's hurry."

They reached the dumpster just around the corner of the grocery store in relative ease. Andrew popped off another couple shots from his shotgun at movement that only he could see, but didn't hit anyone else. The spray kept the remaining convicts at bay, until they were safely tucked behind the dumpster and the cold brick of the building.

"Hell of a shot," X commented as he peeked around the corner, his assault rifle at the ready. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"Thanks, I think," Andrew mumbled. "Are we safe here?"

"Hell no," X responded and the other man frowned. "We've got good cover from the front but we're susceptible to a flank."

Andrew glanced down the dark alley. "You still got some of those mines? Give me them."

The large man didn't ask why. He unclasped the small explosive devices from his belt and handed them to Andrew. They were the kind that exploded when stepped on, and were meant to be buried under dirt. They would be effective on the ground here, though, as it was dark. X showed the businessman how to activate them and then he made his way a short way down the alley, X prepared to provide cover fire if needed.

He peeked around the corner of the dumpster again, and saw two men moving from across the street. He quickly lined up his rifle and took a shot, grunting in agony the whole way, but the angle wasn't perfect and the man escaped unscathed behind a parked vehicle. The other convict followed suit, effectively making the space between them a no-man's zone. If anyone left cover, they'd be downed.

It was then that X saw a movement just above the street, in one of the windows of a building there. It took him only a moment to determine what the slight reflection of light there was—it was the barrel of his sniper rifle, presumably with Sigmund standing behind it.

"Get down!" He called to Andrew, who responded just in time by ducking behind another dumpster as a bullet collided with the concrete near him.

The businessman cursed and said, "This will have to do." He activated the mines and tossed them as far as he reasonably could without flipping them over and detonating them. It was just in time, too; lights from flashlights were now visible at the end of the alleyway.

"What do we do now?" Andrew shouted as the men across the street took some blind shots from their cover.

"We're pinned. We have to make our stand here. Watch our flank." Bullets riddled the opposite side of the dumpster he crouched behind, but it didn't phase him.

Andrew on the other hand, looked shaky and tense. "Looks like the penguins are on their own, now," he mumbled as he took a shot at the two convicts approaching from the rear.

* * *

><p>Blowhole's smile was dark and wide, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as Kowalski's face filled with realization and horror. Meanwhile, the sound of Skipper's lock picking continued. Rico made a low growl from where he held the leader penguin on his shoulders.<p>

"You lead them here?" Kowalski stuttered, obviously frightened by the gunfire outside. Private gritted his beak. _No better time to be a chicken, I suppose._

"The real question is, why didn't you ages ago? Our problems would have been solved. The city would have been ours from the start!" Blowhole let loose a deep cackle, so sharp that it actually made Private loose focus on scanning the shelves. "No matter, though. It's taken care of, now."

Private's eyes gazed over the darkened shelves once more, and came to rest on a group of approaching figures. The other Hobokeners, no doubt woken by the commotion outside. In front was Buck, rolling his shoulder and smiling.

"We've got company, Skippah," Private said, not taking his eyes off of the animals.

"_Good observation_, Private," Skipper replied, sarcastically. "I need a minute longer."

"You don't have a minute, cupcake. I suspect you'll put that lock pick down real nice-like, unless you want to walk around with a cane for the rest of your life," Buck said, his rage noticeable in his tone. Without warning, a gunshot sounded from within the building. Gier had fired his rifle, leaving a smoking bullet hole mere inches from Skipper's head, causing the penguin to freeze instantly. "The next one won't be a miss."

Private began looking around for a plausible way out of the situation. If he could cause some kind of distraction, something big enough to buy Skipper the time to finish getting the door open, they'd have a chance to escape with Julien. But what? He gazed around the store: nothing stood out to him immediately.

Then he saw it. Directly to the Hobokener's right was a shelf full of paper packages that Private was sure were full of the powders humans use in their baking. Flour, sugar, so forth. If he could topple the shelf onto them, it would throw enough of the powder into the air to make a makeshift smokescreen. He needed to get over there without alerting them, though. How?

"Alright, you got what you want. I've stopped." Skipper said, hopping down from Rico's shoulders.

"Heh. You always were smart, Skipper. Unlike Manfredi, you always gave up when the fire got too hot," Buck returned and shook his head. "However, like Manfredi, you are one to play dirty. Recruiting the human's help, Skipper? You oughta be ashamed." Suddenly an explosion big enough to rock the store was heard, followed by a man's cries of agony. Buck smiled darkly, and Blowhole cackled again.

The explosion left the shelf of baking goods wobbling back and forth, and then Private glanced toward the bottom of it, where the metal supports had nearly rusted away. _That's it_, he realized. _One good kick and that thing'll topple like a house of cards. _But how would he get to it? How would he communicate his intentions? He hoped his ex-teammates would realize his intent. He just needed the right moment to make a break for it.

He glanced toward Kowalski, who looked uneasy. Just like the day in the Antechamber. Would he try to team up with Buck and Emilio this time, just like with Sarge in the Antechamber? Private grimaced. The intellectual seemed to be at a loss for words.

Instead, Skipper did the talking. "Alright, you've got us. What do you want?"

Buck huffed. "You can let us tie you up," he pointed to Skippper, "and as for the other three, we kill 'em."

Kowalski immediately shot a look at Blowhole and gasped, "You wouldn't let him!"

"I can't control what he does," the dolphin argued, "and you're far too delusional to be of any use to us anymore. Remember what you said? 'A world without humans is a better world.'"

Kowalski seemed to tense, his brow lowering and his expression growing stern. "A world without humans doesn't mean a world where you can kidnap and murder my friends. You failed to relinquish your allies, and I failed to relinquish mine. The only difference is that your allies pose a direct threat to mine, and not the other way around."

"Those... fleshbags... were posed outside our headquarters with every intention of killing every last one of us, if you deemed it necessary. Did you not think..."

Private's mind drifted away from the conversation as he realized he might have an opening to make his move. He careful scanned the Hobokeners. They seemed preoccupied with the argument going on. Buck has his face in his flippers, annoyed. Rhonda and Savio were looking at each other, almost as if they were holding back laughs. Gier was brandishing his rifle. The only one who seemed to actively be scanning them was Clemson. And that was one animal too many. He just needed a slightly bigger distraction.

More gunfire rang from outside, and another man's cry of pain was heard. He realized he was on an extremely short time limit. Whatever was going on outside was going south for X and Green. He needed to make his move _now._

However, Skipper and Rico were too far away to alert. That meant that his only hope was Kowalski, who was still actively arguing with Blowhole, though Buck looked like he was about to put an end to it. Before he could, however, Private shouted, "I bet K'walski will give you a righteous good smack if you don't _shut up_."

He looked toward his teammate, hoping that the intellectual understood what he needed to do. The tall bird looked back at him, his face first filling with anger than with realization. Then, without any more hesitation, he launched himself upward with a cry and drove a flipper straight across Blowhole's face.

Private was already halfway to the wobbly shelf when Kowalski was thrown roughly to the ground by the enraged dolphin. He heard Buck shout some orders, but it was too late. Private reached the shelf and put all of his momentum into a flying forward kick, hitting one of the rusty supports. The shelf wobbled back and forth, and the shifting weight of the items on the shelves eventually sent it over. Private scrambled as fast as he could to get out from under it, as bags of sugar and flour began to fall and open around him, filling the air with opaque white powder. Shouts from Buck were barely audible over gasps and screams from the other Hobokeners, as they attempted to scatter.

"Get that door open, Skipper!" was all he could shout as powder began to fill his nose and mouth. He was unable to get away from the entirety of the mess, and as a result wasn't sure which way his teammates were and which way the enemies were.

"On it," came Skipper's voice, but it seemed like a mile away. Something large flew by Private's head—Savio's tail, he figured—and he knew he had to get his bearings to find his teammates. He looked up and was just able to see the ceiling. A short ways away was the trapdoor, still open and letting in minute amounts of moonlight.

He heard Buck shout something—probably orders of some kind—from his left, and he quickly dodged. Now was not the time to attempt a sneak attack. He looked up at the trapdoor again, and determined which way it was to the closet door. He quickly made his way there, bumping off of a couple of bodies as he did so. He paid them no heed as he rushed away from the chaos that was now erupting from the confused Hobokeners.

His foot caught on something soft and warm and he tripped forward, barely catching himself on his flippers. He rolled over quickly and prepared to defend himself, but he realized it was only Kowalski. Through the thick powder Private could barely see the penguin. Nonetheless, he grabbed his flipper and dragged him away.

Finally Private reached Skipper and Rico, where the flour smokescreen was much thinner. He took a deep breath, coughing some of the coarse powder out of his lungs. "How's the door coming along, Skippah?" He asked.

"I've got one tumbler left. Keep us covered."

"Aye," Kowalski—who had regained his composure—responded. Private took a fighting stance next to him, prepared to attack the first thing that came out of the flour cloud before them.

It didn't take long for that to be the case. A short, dark shape came stumbling forward, coughing barely audible over Buck's ever-increasingly rage-filled shouts. Private lunged forward, landing on top of the figure. He saw that it was a penguin and he sent a couple of powerful chops towards the penguin's neck. After the third strike his flipper ached but the struggling figure ceased movement. Private gasped for breath through the flourscreen, and that was when he realized he had attacked Geir. The small rockhopper's face looked blank, but Private could feel him breathing.

"Sorry," he mumbled before getting nailed across the face hard. He went sliding some distance across the tile and before his vision could clear he felt a pressure on top of him. His head was reeling but he was just able to make out crimson fur. It was Clemson.

Thankfully Kowalski was nearby and he was able to get the lemur off of him before it could do any serious damage. With a cry and a flying kick, Clemson was knocked to the ground. Kowalski reached for Private's flipper, his face screwed up in determination. Private gladly accepted it and the two retreated closer to their allies, where Rico had taken the opportunity to regurgitate some weapons for them. Kowalski grabbed a small bat and Private grabbed a wrench. They were brute but they'd have to do.

Just as Private was prepared to attack with the wrench, Clemson flung himself from the flourscreen once again. Kowalski reacted quickly and impaled the lemur across the head with his bat, sending him straight into the linoleum. The lemur looked dazed, and Private sent the wrench flying for the back of his head. The lemur was quick, though, and rolled out of the way before disappearing again into the flourscreen.

"Follow the sound of my voice, you maggots! Regroup!" Buck's commands seemed like they were further away now, and Private assumed he had emerged from the flour on the opposite side from them. It would give them a few more minutes, hopefully, as now the flour in the air was beginning to coat the ground in a thin layer of white.

He turned to ask Skipper about the progress on the door, but instead the leader cried, "Got it!" and with a triumphant jump off of Rico's shoulders, he wrenched the door open. Private got ready. They needed to get Julien and get out of there ASAP. From what he could tell, their escape route was not compromised, but that wouldn't be for long. Buck's troops were likely regrouped. The gunfire outside had not yet died down, either, so they didn't have long.

However, as he prepared to grab the lemur's paw and run, something entirely unexpected happened. There was a cry from inside, and out of the darkness came two penguins, closely followed by Julien. Private immediately recognized these two penguins; he had seen them the day Skipper nearly killed Buck. They trio held what looked like sharp darts in their flippers and paws. Julien slowed when he saw the quartet, but the other two continued charging.

"No, wait!" The mammal cried, but it was too late. One of the penguins—a tall female emperor—charged into Rico, jabbing forward with one of the darts she was holding. Rico dodged the blow easily and countered the penguin in the back, sending her to the ground. She dropped the darts she was holding, but then Private saw she had a second in her other flipper. She stabbed it upwards as Rico rolled off the top of her, but Private was there in time to knock it away with a swat of his flipper.

"Dmitri!" She cried, and Private heard a scream from behind him. He turned just in time to dodge another needle from a penguin with unruly feathers. Time seemed to slow as the penguin lunged passed him, his face expressing surprise as he tripped forward.

_Dmitri_.

The purple eyes. The gray eyes. Private looked down at the emperor, who Rico was busy restraining. Her eyes were gray. He twisted back to Dmitri, who had rolled on the ground and was now getting back up.

"Dmitri!" He shouted, waving his flippers as the penguin came for another attack. "I know who you are!"

Dmitri looked startled, but didn't slow. His brow lowered again and he lunged, and Private took no chance in dodging him. Dmitri fell forward again, except this time the penguin didn't fall to the ground. An shrill yelp was heard from behind Private, and he spun on the spot. Dmitri was leaned against Julien, his flipper still clutching the dart that was now embedded in the lemur's chest.

Julien's arms were still up in the air in an attempt to get Dmitri's attention, but his face expressed shock. After what seemed like a millennium, Dmitri let go of the dart and took a step back. "I'm... I'm... so sorry," Private heard him stutter. At first he didn't understand why. It was just a simple dart... even more crude of a weapon than what he was holding. It didn't even phase him when he caught a glimpse of Clemson giving a toothy smile from the shadow nearby. But, when Julien dropped to his knees, he understood.

Skipper was behind the lemur in time to catch him before he dropped to the ground. Julien was mumbling something, but it wasn't audible. Gunfire still sounded from outside and something like a big machine could be heard from across the space, drowning out everything he had to say. Private assumed Blowhole had devised something to clear the flourscreen, but he didn't care. Julien already looked like he was about to pass out.

Skipper slapped him across the snout. "Fish and chips, man, what was in that dart?" He pulled the metal case from the lemur's chest, as though he expected it would fix everything.

"I... tell..." Private heard the lemur mumble, and moved to get closer.

"We've got to get out of here," Kowalski observed from somewhere nearby. He was right; there wasn't much flour left in the air.

"What is it, man?" Skipper interrogated.

"Marlene... tell her... She's safe now," Julien sputtered, and then his speech turned to nothing more than a mix of random noises. It finally struck Private what was going on. There was something in that dart. Poison, probably. And Julien was dying.

_If he dies, you die._

"Damn it!" he shouted, and slammed his flipper against Julien's chest, causing him to fall into a seizure. Skipper lost his grip on the mammal's shoulders as he convulsed. Suddenly it was as if the world had melted around Private and he fell to the ground with his friend, feeling tears start to sting at his eyes. He put pressure on the lemur's shoulders to stop his convulsing, but it didn't do much good.

The small penguin felt a flipper tug at his shoulder. "There's nothing we can do for him. We have to get out of here _now_." It was Kowalski. He was right. Damn it, he was right! His mind cleared a bit and he could hear Buck's group growing closer.

Private took a last look at the lemur, who had stopped his trembling. He wanted to be sure, though. Maybe, just maybe, he was still asleep. Private leaned down and placed his ear against the lemur's chest.

No breathing.

No heartbeat.

No anything.

The only sound was vibrations from Rhonda's bulky flippers slamming the ground. He felt flippers pull him up from the ground, but he didn't even care to check who it was. The gunfire outside had faded away, though he wasn't sure if it was because he just couldn't hear it anymore or because it had actually stopped. Blindly, he followed the penguin before him. Skipper, Kowalski, Rico... he didn't care. They needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. He heard someone cry from behind him—the female, he figured. He couldn't make out what she said, though.

In a blink they were free from the failing flourscreen and then the abandoned grocery store. They weren't completely out of it yet, though. Even though he ignored it, the gunfire outside was still going on, just at a slower pace. Private looked to the street, where several dead, human bodies lay. He didn't have time to count them, though, as Kowalski's flipper tugged on his own and lead him into a sewer entrance that Skipper and Rico must have already entered.

He didn't even have time to take in everything that had happened before Kowalski slid the manhole cover shut and Skipper called for him to follow down the dark, dank sewer. All he could see was Julien convulsing on the ground... all he could hear was his final words.

_Tell Marlene she's safe._

Private felt his scar sting with intense pain, but it wasn't the dull burn he was used to. This was sharp, something from inside, and stung with every individual beat of his heart. He flinched as the pain increased, to the point he could hardly see. It faded just enough for him to regain his composure, and then he finally realized he had dropped his wrench at some point during the scuffle.

He glanced around for it, hoping one of the other penguins had grabbed it. He was right; it hung limply from Skipper's good flipper, but there was blood on it. Had he hit someone? He didn't think so. Then his eyes gazed up, and he realized Rico was carrying an unconscious penguin.

Private's heart burned at the sight of it. Something he had never quite felt before, even with everything that had happened to him since the mass absorption. This was something from deep inside, something he didn't quite understand. Something dark.

_You're name's Dmitri._

* * *

><p><strong><em>~Author's Note: <em> **Happy Saturday! Err... maybe not. So yeah, remember when I promised to update every Saturday? I failed. Hard. I apologize. This chapter was just giving me all the grief in the world. I hope it's okay. I'll get started on the next chapter right away, so maybe it'll actually be out by next Saturday this time :)!


	54. An Unsafe Home

**~Author's Note:** I've slightly changed Julien's dieing words, in the hope that it will be a little less Cliche and fit the story a little more. He now says, "Tell Marlene she's safe." Instead of "Tell Marlene I love her." (Okay... that's still pretty cliche.)

* * *

><p><strong>Pic The Power of Silence<br>****Chapter 53 – An Unsafe Home**

PRIVATE SIMPLY STARED AT THE UNCONCIOUS PENGUIN.

Dmitri's eyes were closed, blood from when Skipper hit him forming a dark line on his brow. The bird was entirely knocked out, and swayed limply over Rico's shoulder when the penguin shifted his weight from side to side.

Private felt his flippers tense. That was the penguin that jabbed the toxic dart into Julien. He was the penguin that killed his only remaining friend. And, for a reason Private didn't care about, Skipper decided abducting him was more important than recovering Julien's dead body. Now the ex-lemur was probably laying on the cold linoleum of the grocery store, Clemson and the other Hobokeners laughing at him.

Kowalski climbed down from the sewer manhole, which he had just closed. "We're not out of it, yet. I didn't see anyone follow us but they'll likely spread out and search for us as soon as the humans' gunfire dies down."

Right. The gunfire. Private hadn't even thought about it. X and Andrew, the man who had risked everything to save them from annihilation by the Sun, were nothing but pawns in a game controlled by Kowalski and Emilio. They were probably dead because a couple of animals couldn't get along. Private felt his scar begin to throb, and decided to take a deep breath. Now was not the time to let his anger consume him.

A _clank_ brought Private's attention back to the group. Skipper had finally dropped the bloody wrench. "Alright, let's get out of here, team. There's nothing left for us."

Rico and Kowalski affirmed the statement, but Private remained silent. When the three turned and started walking down the sewer, the small bird lingered. Part of him wanted to race back up into the store. Maybe he could retrieve Julien's body, or maybe he could find some way to help Andrew. No, doing anything of the sort would be a suicide mission, regardless of how unhappy he was with the outcome. He trotted after the group, hurrying to catch up.

There was silence for a moment, until Kowalski asked, "What will we do with him?" It was a simple question referencing Dmitri.

Skipper didn't respond immediately. He didn't even turn to look at the taller penguin. "I don't know yet," he admitted. "Since he was locked up in that room with Julien, I bet Buck already knew who he was. If nothing else, we saved his life."

Kowalski nodded. "It seems we got in the way of a sneak-attack Julien and the two penguins had planned."

Rico grunted, shifting the weight of the captured penguin again to keep him from sliding off. He also seemed dissatisfied with the turn of events in the store.

"What will we tell the zoo animals?" Kowalski asked.

This caused Skipper to hesitate for a moment, as though he hadn't thought that far ahead. Then he lowered his brow and responded, "Exactly what happened. There's no point in lying. They're going to run off, but what good does it do for them to stay in the zoo, anyway?"

"Mmm..." responded Kowalski.

After that, the quartet fell into relative silence as they made the long trek back to the zoo. Private let his mind wander, replaying Julien's death in his head a few times over. The lemur's final words came to him, and suddenly he felt a chill run over him. It was so strong that he actually stopped waddling for a moment, but the others didn't seem to notice.

"_Tell Marlene... she's safe._" Marlene. Though the chaos he had completely forgotten about her. Suddenly he envisioned her standing before him, her eyes glowing red as she lost herself to her feral form, her hot breath as she stepped closer to him, her long claws ripping into his chest.

A week ago, he'd have thought she'd never be capable of going through with it. After all, she had told him that she couldn't kill a friend. But things were different now. She had changed, and Private was no longer a friend of hers. She learned how to let her feral form take over when her emotions became too strong, when she was so nauseous with anger that she wanted everything for it to be taken away.

When she found out about his failure to keep Julien alive, she was going to make it her only priority to end him.

Private actually felt fear rise in his throat, for the first time in a long time. What was he to do? She was going to be waiting for them. The moment they crossed the threshold of that zoo, she would see that Julien wasn't with them. And as soon as that happened, she'd ask questions. And he couldn't lie his way out of this one.

Then, other things came to mind. Even if he did find some way to get into the zoo without alerting her to Julien's death, where would he go? It seemed at though the team was okay with him once again, but he couldn't rely on them. Nothing had changed about what had to be done. Getting to close to them would just make things impossible. Could he go to Maurice? No. Things were already to tense between him and Hans, and if Maurice caught wind of Hans' true intentions, he wouldn't keep it a secret any longer.

And there was that. Hans' plan, to lure Skipper and Rico to their deaths. For a moment the idea of leading Marlene into the fireball appeared in his head, and the sudden shock from the thought caused him to collapse.

He hadn't realized how light-headed he had become, and how weak his legs felt. The idea of Marlene—the one who had stuck with him up until he forced her away by trying to make her do his dirty work—dieing just because he needed her to sickened him to the point where he became nauseous. He slowly dragged himself to the wall of the sewer and rested his head against the cold concrete, closing his eyes to lull his spinning head.

What was it all even for? The humans' lives? Was it worth loosing everything? After all, even though there was only a small collection of them left, they almost seemed to have made it a game to kill each other.

Still, six billion lives other lives hinged on him. That was what the Sun had said. But it had never said he would loose himself trying to save them.

"Where's Private?" came Skipper's voice from down the tunnel. It sounded distant, and Private didn't mind. They must not have noticed him collapse.

"He must have fallen behind," Kowalski responded, "I'll go make sure he's alright. We'll catch up."

Sure enough, a few moments later, the tall intellectual rounded a corner. He seemed to look alarmed when he spotted the smaller bird leaned against the concrete. Private merely offered him a glance as he heard the penguin approach him.

After a moment, the intellectual spoke. "I'm sorry about Julien."

Private opened his eyes and looked at his ex-teammate, somewhat startled by the words. The idea of Kowalski showing compassion struck him as odd. He looked up at the tall bird, and for the first time noticed that Kowalski's feathers were ruined, and what looked like some dried blood was on his beak. He must have taken a nasty hit from when he slapped Blowhole.

"Me too," was all he could offer, quietly.

Kowalski took a seat near him, looking off into the darkness. "I'm so stupid. I should have known Emilio was feeding information to X's enemies. He's not stupid. I knew he'd figure out how to communicate with them somehow."

Private looked up at his teammate, who now looked defeated. He continued, "He's so consumed by his need for revenge that the only reason he'd work with a human is with the assurance that said human would be killed in the end.

"It started off harmlessly enough. He wanted to get the nuclear reactor working so that we could have electricity in the city again. He even devised a system of checks and balances so it could run itself, without the need for human intervention. After X found us there, even though the man's intent was never to kill us, he never wanted to go back. I couldn't get it running without him, so I gave up. That was when he first mentioned using X's enemies against them." Kowalski paused. "I wonder if X and Andrew are okay."

Private didn't want to respond to the question. He wished they were, but didn't think he could survive his hopes being dashed again. Instead, he changed the subject. "Why don't you hate the humans like he does?"

"Blowhole is convinced humans are diabolical. He thinks they exploit the Earth for everything it has, he thinks they kill animals for no reason, and he thinks that they kill each other for sport. Maybe some of those things are true for a few unique individuals. And when those individuals show up on the big picture, the humans are quick to deal with them.

"You know, I've forgiven X for killing Doris. He didn't understand the scope of what he was doing, he was just following orders, and he is remorseful for his actions. We were being trained to be presidential assassins, for Newton's sake. If he hadn't stepped in, we would have surely been destroyed after causing far more trauma.

"Maybe the man training us was wronged by the human government in some way, maybe he felt guilty for what he had been led into. But killing is never reconciliation, regardless of the means. Especially if the lives of bystanders hang in the balance."

Another break of silence. Private absorbed everything the older bird had said. He had never thought Kowalski would have come to this conclusion, after seeing the way he broke down after the mere sight of X. It made sense, though. The way Kowalski urged Private to teach Skipper some morals, the way he refused to let Skipper kill Buck in cold blood. Something stood out, though. Something that didn't align with the rest of Kowalski's story.

"Would you have allowed X and Andrew to murder the Hobokeners?"

Kowalski sighed as though he was expecting that question. "I was hoping with every fiber of my being that it wouldn't come to that, but yes, it was a fail safe. Anything Emilio and I once had in common was lost those ten years ago when X's team came crashing through the door. If he, or the other Hoboken animals had to die to ensure our safety, I would allow it."

Private looked wide-eyed at his ex-superior. "Doesn't that put you on the same level as Emilio, or the man who trained you? Putting others on the front line to do your killing for you?"

"Maybe," Kowalski was quick to respond. "But maybe not. I'd like to think I made the right decision, but even if it was, it failed."

Private nodded. "There was no way out of this without someone dying, was there?"

"Not according to my calculations, no."

More silence. Private mused over what he had heard. It seemed like Kowalski had thought about the situation, and the potential consequences, than he had. Was the intellectual more aware of the situation than he had thought? And maybe, did the bird know even more than he did?

The small bird said simply, "I can't go back to the zoo." With that one sentence, everything was revealed, and Private knew it.

"I know."

Private noticed a stern, but understanding look come from the intellectual's tired eyes. The tall penguin spoke again. "I will do everything in my power to keep Marlene under control, but that will only work so long. You're going to have to confront her eventually."

It didn't surprise Private that Kowalski new about Marlene. "I know."

"You'll be safe in the HQ. I doubt she'd attack you in the presence of us... and if she did, well, I'd do what's necessary."

Private was startled by Kowalski's words. Would he really go to such extremes just to protect him from something he probably deserved? "Why are you suddenly helping me?"

Kowalski sighed. "Pushing you away was the worst thing I've ever done for our team, Private. Now, I just want to try to make things right. I can feel Rico, Skipper, and I growing more distant by the hour. Without you, we'll fragment soon." Kowalski was right. Even though they managed to work together long enough to attempt to rescue Julien, they were all drifting apart. Skipper was too concerned about preventing himself from being captured by Buck, Rico was too concerned trying to get Private back, and Kowalski... well Kowalski was too busy trying to figure out how to keep them together.

Private didn't respond, just stared at the other bird. With the evening's events, followed by this conversation, his emotions were conflicting again. He was now agreeing to work with the penguins, maybe even to the point where Skipper and Rico thought the quartet was reformed.

_But that will never happen._

The idea that Kowalski still had to die bubbled up from the back of his mind, and he was pretty sure Kowalski understood that too.


	55. A Rebellious Act

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 54 – A Rebellious Act<strong>

**WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO THE ZOO, PRIVATE KEPT HIS EYES PEELED FOR MARLENE**.

He was expecting her to be perched atop a light post or maybe above the archway that spanned the entrance of the ruined place, but it seemed she was nowhere to be found. Private was surprised. She had seen them leave, so why wouldn't she be waiting for them to get back? He figured it didn't matter; she likely spotted them from a distance and knew exactly what happened. His concern rose, and he communicated it by glancing at Kowalski, who gave him an understanding look. It was probably for the better that she didn't confront them immediately, anyway.

Some of the zoo animals had gathered in the ruined courtyard in front of the Zoovineer shop. There was some muffled conversation between them while they avoided getting too close to the dead convicts that still littered the concrete around them. They were probably awaiting the penguins' return, figured Private. None of them seemed to notice the group of penguins, so without a word they swiftly made their way to the penguin enclosure. They used a tunnel entrance to get in, so they wouldn't have to try to bobble Dmitri over the fence and risk waking him up.

The group was still silent as they entered the concrete HQ. It hadn't changed a bit in the days that Private had been removed from the team; Skipper likely kept a tight shift. The surfaces were spotless, the bunks folded. His blanket and pillow still sat folded neatly on the edge of his bunk, just like he left them. It seems none of the other penguins had dared to put them away.

"Rico, secure Dmitri to that chair. He is going to panic when he wakes up, and I don't want him to hurt himself." Skipper's instructions were clear, and Rico nodded. He pulled a chair out from the folding table in the middle of the room and lowered the large penguin onto it. The scarred penguin rolled his shoulder and then regurgitated a pair of plastic handcuffs. He secured the unconscious penguin's flippers firmly to the chair and then saluted Skipper.

"So this is Manfredi's lost son," Kowalski commented, looking over the penguin for wounds. "It's a wonder we've crossed paths." When he finished his inspection he said, "He's not injured, except for his head. He may have a minor concussion."

"Good. Buck isn't one to normally keep prisoners locked up like that without trying to break them first, so he's lucky. It must have been because of his connection to Manfredi. Now, we should focus on getting some rest. It's been a long night." The leader penguin paused for a moment and waddled towards the ladder. "I'm going to go inform the zoo animals of Julien's death."

Skipper climbed the ladder and closed the fishbowl hatch after himself, leaving the three other penguins in the dim room. It took Private a moment to realize Skipper had said nothing about him not being able to stay in the HQ again, and he was happy for it. For obvious reasons he couldn't go to Marlene's, and he wanted to avoid Maurice if possible. The aye-aye lemur was getting too close to Hans, and it was only a matter of time before he discovered what they were really planning. With Julien gone, he was going to become extra defensive of the penguins.

Private glanced at the other penguins. Kowalski looked grim, but Rico had a slight smile on his beak. Private knew it was because he himself was being included in the team again. For a moment, Private felt some warmth growing inside him at it. Even with everything that had transgressed, there was hope that the quartet could be reconciled. All it took was an situation that forced them to work together. Maybe Private was just beginning to understand what Rico had been holding onto this whole time.

"You two should heed Skipper's advice," Kowalski said, drawing Private's attention. "We're not completely safe, yet. Buck will surely be on his way back here when he has a chance to regroup, and we don't know what happened to Andrew and Officer X. We'll need our strength. I'll take the first shift to make sure Dmitri doesn't panic when he wakes up."

With that, Kowalski pulled out a chair across the table from the unconscious penguin and sat down. Private felt his legs wobble a bit, and felt a throbbing in his flippers. He hadn't realized just how exhausted he had become. His bunk looked warm and inviting, and he wasted no time getting comfortable in it. He wondered if laying in it would be foreign to him again, but it actually brought with it a strong feeling of comfort. The fact that Julien was dead and his once good friend Marlene now wanted to kill him had chilled him even more than what had happened between him, Kowalski, and Skipper. Now that he realized Kowalski had been at work to put things right, he found himself feeling strangely happy. Maybe it was just because the true grief of Julien's death hadn't quite struck him.

He fell asleep without struggle. His exhaustion was just too great. He figured even if Marlene barged into the headquarters right now, it wouldn't be enough to get him out of bed.

He dreamed of various things. When he had received the Sun's prophecy, Kowalski's glare of hatred that led to his discharge, Blood gushing from his scar, Marlene holding him until his tears stopped, him holding Julien until his heart stopped. Through the nightmare he remained calm, too exhausted and numb to care.

Then he came to rest in the white void. This time he felt like he did when he saw Kowalski combat the wall of flame; out-of-body and as though he was floating. All around him were the floating forms of human beings as though the flame had never happened. The people didn't know it, but they were relying on him to save them. The people formed rows upon rows, stretching as far as Private could see. They wrapped around him, all facing him, though their faces were dark and they did not stare.

Confused and disorientated, he looked down. There he saw he was looking at the Sun from above. The massive penguin's flippers were crossed over its feathered chest, its glowing eyes were concentrated on something on the horizon. Private tried to call out to it, but couldn't find his words. Instead, Private looked out to where the Sun stared, and found Alice. Her form looked cold, and her face was contorted as though she was battling some internal struggle.

The penguin watched her for some time. It was strange; most of the people looked peaceful, but Alice's looked perpetually tense. Private wondered if she knew about the Purge, and if she was frightened of it. He eventually began to fall away from the place.

When he finally awoke, he was disorientated. In fact, when he woke up he was unsure of how long he had slept. It must have been quite some time, because bright sunlight filtered through the porthole window. Rico was now awake and watching Dmitri, who was also awake. Private could see the the bound penguin's eyes were narrowed, and that a thick piece of duct tape had been stretched across his beak. Private hadn't even heard the penguin speak, and figured he wasn't very happy to have woken up once more in custody.

Private Sat up and stretched, then hopped out of his bunk. Skipper and Kowalski were asleep in theirs, which relieved him. They wouldn't be sleeping if they were worried about Buck returning soon. Private yawned, then started towards the ladder to leave the HQ. After a few steps, he froze. He looked up at the sleeping Kowalski, then concluded he would be much safer within the confines of the HQ. Even if he just popped up onto the surface, Marlene could be at his throat within seconds. As he thought about it, the calmness that had enveloped his sleep began to fall away to anxiousness and depression, and he shook his head to fight it. He knew he would break down if he didn't. He took a minute to steel himself by pushing memories from his mind and focusing on Rico and Dmitri.

Rico kicked a chair near him out from under the table and gestured for Private to sit. The round bird accepted and laid his flippers on the table. He looked toward Dmitri, and noticed the penguin didn't look agitated. Maybe a little tired, but he was calm. It looked like Kowalski had cleaned where his skin had split, and the wound was hardly visible behind his unruly feathers. Dmitri's eyes locked with his and they widened; a silent plea for help.

If he were his old self, he would have insisted that Rico unbind the bird. Surely he wouldn't be so unreasonable as to attack them. They could even have a chance to talk to him and figure out what he knew about his father, and what he knew about the Hobokeners. Instead, he remained silent. He didn't think it was his place to interfere. Besides, this was the bird that killed Julien. The clarity of his rested mind helped him to realize it had just been an escape plan gone wrong, but he still didn't want to see Dmitri unrestrained.

"Is there anything to eat?" Private asked, turning to Rico. The large bird nodded, then pointed to the penguins' refrigerator. Private got up and waddled to it, then pulled the door open. Inside he discovered it had been filled with ice to prevent the fish from spoiling without electricity to power the refrigerator. He grabbed a couple of fish from the small pile inside and rejoined Rico at the table.

When he had taken a few bites, Rico said, "_Welcome home_, _Pr'vate._"

The smaller bird immediately stopped munching the fish, and looked up at the Sergeant. His flippers were crossed but his face held a familiar warmness. Suddenly he felt his appetite die away, and set the remaining hunks of fish on the table.

In his panic over Julien's kidnapping, he had let himself become one of the Quartet once again. He hadn't been completely unaware that it was happening through their mission to get the lemur home, but he still had his head on straight enough to know when it was time to leave again. Kowalski's protective words trailing in the wake of Julien's death the previous night had sealed the deal for him. He felt the same calmness he had experienced in his sleep return to him, though. He wasn't angry about being sucked back in. In fact, he felt safe here in the HQ. That was something he never thought he'd be able to feel again.

"_You okay_?" Rico peeped, causing him to snap from his trance.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Private gave the bird a small smile. Rico didn't seem satisfied. He attempted to change the subject. "How is Dmitri doing?"

"_He's good_," Rico shrugged. "_Not much fighting._"

Private nodded. "Did Skipper get a chance to interrogate him yet?"

"_Surprised you sleep through it,_" Rico grinned. "_As soon as woke up, he began crying 'Irena, Irena!' Strange. Would say nothing unless he saw Irena. Sk'pp'r 'ventually gave up and went snooze_."

Private glanced to the bound penguin, who didn't seem satisfied with that explanation. "Irena," he pondered aloud, recalling his dream where he had taken the place of the large penguin. "Is that the penguin you were trapped with?"

Dmitri nodded feverishly, making small grunting noises from behind the duct tape.

"I had a dream a few weeks ago where I was standing on a snowbank, arguing with Irena. I think I was watching the what was happening through your eyes, Dmitri." Dmitri's eyes widened in disbelief, which oddly brought a smile to Private's beak. "If I was, you smashed her into the ground and she turned into a pool of blood." Private felt a chuckle rise in his throat. For some reason, he now found the dream funny. "And now, here you sit, asking for just that penguin."

"_What?_" Rico said, confused.

Private waved a flipper in dismissal. "I see a lot of crazy things in my dreams. It was probably nothing." Dmitri still stared at him in utter disbelief, so he decided to continue. "I think I even had a chance to see what happened when you hatched from your egg. There were some large emperors that stopped you from freezing to death. It was right after Caspian's army destroyed the Penguin City. The only thing I really remember is a set of brilliant purple eyes."

Private didn't know why he was telling Dmitri these things, but he smiled at the way the penguin now squirmed in his chair. It was the same feeling he had when he originally told Skipper about Dmitri. The large penguin was grunting something inaudibly out from behind his gag. Private didn't reach to remove it, though he was sure Rico wouldn't have stopped him.

Whatever the reason Dmitri was here, Private was sure the Sun had something to do with it. There was no other way Manfredi's lost child would have shown up on their doorstep. He figured he was supposed to tell the penguin about his past, but he seemed to have already figured it out if Buck knew about it, too.

Private began to grow annoyed by the penguin's squirming and forcefully said, "Shut up, will you?" Dmitri immediately stopped squirming and looked at him, horror now falling over his face. Private smiled again; Dmitri had seen him as a potential ally and he had just crushed that hope for him.

This time it was Rico's turn to raise a brow. "_You not okay_."

Private smirked, sincerely this time. Crushing Dmitri's hope had somehow heightened his calmness to elation. Kowalski may have offered him sanctuary, but he didn't have to share it with any strangers. "I'm just perfect," he said, sarcastically. He had every reason in the world to not be perfect.

Rico looked genuinely worried. "_You mad about Julien._"

Private felt a low burning inside him at those words, and realized that yes, he was _furious_ about Julien. Furious at Dmitri for stabbing him, furious at Buck for abducting him, but most of all, furious at himself for getting him involved in his troubles. Julien was looking for an escape from Clemson, and all he did was bring the lemur too close to the fire.

His fury grew, and only when his flippers began to tremble did he take a deep breath. The calmness returned, and he let his face—which had contorted with the sudden burst of anger—fall blank. It was then that he realized this calmness wasn't whole. It was hollow, and his anger bubbled through it, consuming him entirely. Rico reached for him, but he arched away from the penguin's acidic touch.

He didn't want sympathy. Sympathy was only good for beating himself up with. He was done beating himself up.

With a powerful grunt of exertion he sent the table flipping in Dmitri's direction. The table sailed a few feet before it collided with the bird, bringing him to the ground with it. Private heard Rico call to him but it was too late; his heart pounded in his ears as he stomped closer to Dmitri, who was now trembling on the ground.

Private rolled the table out of the way and pounced onto the defenseless Dmitri, who cried out in agony when the first fist contacted his beak. Private took swing after swing. One, two, three... he lost count before he knew it. Dmitri's duct tape became loose and he let loose a cry of agony, which only fueled Private's ferocity, causing his vision to glow blurry. His flippers became slippery and warm; though he wasn't sure whose blood it was. It was then that a massive force impaled him from the side, and he was sent flying toward the overturned table.

He came to rest with his head on one of the table corners, and it took only a moment for his face to be pressed harder into the wood grain. His vision cleared slightly and he was able to make out Rico's angry face, his muscular frame holding Private down with ease.

"What's going on?" He heard Skipper say. The leader's voice cracked, indicating the fact that his body had awoken faster than his mind.

"Damn it," Kowalski cursed. Private could see him hunched over where he had left Dmitri. "He's unconscious again, and he has new lacerations. These will need stitches. I need to get him to my lab, stat. Rico!"

Rico responded by wrenching Private to his feet, twisting his flippers behind his back painfully. Skipper was to his side next and took his flippers from Rico, who then walked over to Kowalski and swiftly pulled Dmitri—chair and all—from the ground. The penguin's eyes were open but they lolled around, and fresh blood dripped down his bill. Skipper tightened his grip on Private's flippers at the sight of it, causing him to yelp.

Kowalski and Rico carried the wounded bird into the scientist's lab, Rico making sure to shoot Private a glare as he passed. When they were inside the lab and the heavy, metal door closed with a slam, Skipper let go of the smaller bird and harshly pushed him forward. Private grimaced and went to rub his flippers together where they had been wrenched, but stopped when he saw his flippers were spattered with crimson.

"Are you _insane_?" The leader spat. His morning grogginess had worn off quickly, and he spoke with force. "I know he killed Julien, but he isn't our enemy!"

Private looked towards the ground, shame replacing his dying anger. Skipper marched up and wrenched his beak up, forcing the smaller bird's eyes to stare into his crystal blue orbs. They stayed like that for what felt like ages. Private couldn't think of anything to say.

Skipper let go of Private and then crossed his flippers. "Do you know why I brought him here, even after our rescue failed?"

Private shook his head.

"He's Manfredi's son, at least according to you," Skipper explained. "Doesn't that mean anything to you? Don't you feel any debt to Manfredi for saving all of our lives?"

Private scowled. "What are you going to try to do, raise him on your own?" He retorted.

"No," Skipper responded simply, "but the least I can do is offer to protect him from Buck. Buck would kill Dmitri if he didn't fall under his command, and either way would make everything Manfredi, Johnson, and I worked for mean nothing." He stressed the last word. A pause followed. Skipper arched his brow when Private didn't respond. "You didn't attack him for just Julien. You're too smart for that. You must have known what he did was an accident."

Private tried to wipe Dmitri's blood from his flippers, but it only made the problem worse. Skipper was right, but he didn't want to admit it. He had let out a lot of pent-up anger with that assault, though he didn't feel any better because of it.

He felt something rise inside him. It was the calmness once more, poking through his shame and anger. He realized the only thing that would truly bring it back would be to talk. He sighed. "Julien was helping me," he admitted. "That was why he didn't just immediately flee when he knew Clemson was nearby. It's my fault he even was captured in the first place."

Skipper's flippers dropped, and his face brightened with curiosity. "Helping you to do what, exactly?"

Private felt his heart drop. He had nearly given away his murder plan to the one he had planned to murder. How could he be so stupid? He felt a dull pounding on his head, and as though the walls of the HQ were closing in around him. His breaths came harder and harder and he eventually moved toward the ladder. Fear of revealing what he had agreed to do gripped him harder than succumbing to Marlene's wrath.

"Private?" Skipper called after him, but it was already too late. Private rushed up the ladder and onto the surface of the HQ, being sure to close the fishbowl after himself.

How could he have been so _stupid_. Not only had he given Skipper another reason to be suspicious, he made Kowalski's job ten times harder by assaulting Dmitri. And to top it all off, he had let himself grow comfortable even though Hans was expecting him to help him murder the penguins he was growing comfortable with. He now realized how grave of a mistake it had been to agree to the murder in the first place.

He fought a wave of nausea as his head began to pound. There was no time to let it subside, though. He had to find Hans and call off the murder/capture attempt.


	56. An Unhappy Comrade

**The Power of Silence  
><strong>**Chapter 55 – An Unhappy Comrade**

** PRIVATE TOOK A MINUTE TO CATCH HIS BREATH** **BY LEANING AGAINST A LAMPPOST.**

He hadn't quite realized how flustered he had become as a result of what just happened in the headquarters. He felt a flame of anger reignite in him when he thought of Dmitri, but also felt regret because of his course of action. He knew he had caused harm by attacking the bird, and he hated how good the action had made him feel. He felt pressure relieved with every punch, but somehow the pressure returned when Skipper's icy stare bore into him. That pressure was the guilt that he had agreed to kill that very penguin.

Private took a quick glance around him to ensure nobody was following him. He didn't want Kowalski to come try to interrogate him or Rico to try to knock some sense into him while he tried to cover up the plot to capture or kill them. It seemed as though neither penguin had left the HQ after him; they were probably concerned with Dmitri's health. Private wondered if he had caused any significant injury. There had been a lot of blood, that was for sure.

As Private's eyes glanced over the habitats, he noticed something he didn't expect to see. There were still animals in them. From where he stood, he could see Ted the polar bear, Bada and Bing the massive gorillas, and Roy the rhinoceros. They all glanced at him but didn't pay him any interest, going back to their activities. They all had a distinguishable look upon their faces, though Private couldn't immediately place the emotion. Then it hit him—they looked worried.

Had Skipper told them about Julien? He could only assume so. But if Skipper did, the zoo animals would have surely left. After all, they had no reason to stick around anymore. Private didn't have time to ask the animals what happened though; he had to find Hans and call off the hit before it was too late.

He began making his way for the lemur habitat, where he assumed he would find the Danish bird. He started to make his way across the wide courtyard. The fountain in the middle that once bubbled with wishes and dreams sat dry and cracked. Private felt a presence watching him then, and for a second he felt as though something was breathing on the back of his neck. His feathers bristled and instinctively he brought his flippers up defensively, but there was nothing there. Instantly, he was reminded of Marlene's vendetta against him. The penguin glanced to the otter's fake-rock mountain, but the mammal wasn't there. He sighed, shaking his head.

Then, suddenly, the sound of an engine not far away brought his attention to the gate of the zoo. He briefly heard the sound of crashing metal and squealing tires before a familiar sight appeared in the gate. It was X's van, looking as though it was in decent shape. For a moment Private's hope fluttered at the idea that X and Andrew were safe, but then fear rose in his throat when he realized they could be dead and inside could easily be the men they were fighting. He dove behind the fountain to hide himself, but the van stopped right beside him anyway.

Private thought about diving under the vehicle to further conceal himself, but the door opened before he could react. It took only a second for him to see that it was Andrew himself who stumbled out of the still-running vehicle. The man's hair was ruined, his glasses were cracked, and his clothes were noticeably burnt in places. Blood splattered him from head to toe, smearing on his face and hands where the man had obviously tried to wipe it away.

While relief flooded over Private at the sight of the man he trusted, he gasped at the unsettling state of him. This noise grabbed the man's attention, and his head snapped down toward the bird with lightning speed. His face held a profuse scowl, and his eyes were wide. Private was frightened by the reaction, and moved to run away. Before he could, Andrew snatched him up from the ground. The man's bearlike grip made him grunt with pain.

"Where is he?" The man shouted, his voice cracking. Private winced as his thumbs dug into his front, unsure of how to respond. Now that he was close he saw that the burn marks on the man's clothes were actually bullet holes, though no blood leaked from them. Andrew wrenched the bird closer so that their eyes locked.

"Where is he?" the human spat, and Private whimpered.

"Where's who?" he responded but knew Andrew wouldn't be able to understand him.

Andrew's grip tightened further, and Private found it hard to breathe. He began to fear that the man would crush him entirely. "Where's X?"

Private froze, raising a brow to show his confusion. The last he had seen the large man was when they entered the abandoned grocery store to rescue Julien. He shook his head feverishly, and sighed with relief when the man's grip loosened slightly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Andrew was still shouting, though desperation was now apparent in his tone. "How can you not know when you lead those assholes right to us?"

Private's brow lowered. Andrew's scowl darkened in return.

"You see this?" He looked down at his blood-covered body. "_This_ is what happens when a man steps on a landmine not five feet from you. I'm lucky I still have my sense of hearing!"

Private grimaced.

"Look," Andrew said, obviously growing frustrated, "I was shot in the chest several times but survived because of the vest that X gave me. Still, I think bullets broke some ribs when they hit, and I passed out from the pain. I don't know why they didn't finish me off; maybe they thought I was already dead. Regardless, they've taken X. His body wasn't in the alley, and I know Sigmund wouldn't kill him on the spot anyway. X is too valuable to him."

Private looked curiously, his fear now waning. His feelings of concern for the man returned, and he felt genuinely sorry for him. They didn't mean the man any harm by bringing him on the rescue mission.

Andrew sighed, and his grip lightened. Private could see how the gunpowder darkened the creases on his face. "I don't know where they've taken him, it could be anywhere by now. I was unconscious for at least one night. But there's still hope, if we find him soon enough. You penguins have to help me."

Private couldn't stop his face from darkening at the suggestion. Immediately he remembered the quartet's discussion before they left to rescue Julien. They knew the risk they were putting Andrew in, and they accepted it. They agreed to abandon the two humans after the mission was over. He wasn't going to take a risk at letting Skipper and Rico die to change what was already resolved. It was no longer of his worry.

Andrew seemed to pick up his meaning from his look, but asked anyway, "Will you help me?"

Private gave a slow, purposeful shake of his head.

The human growled before yanking Private downward, letting go of him and sending him careening toward the ground. Thankfully, Private got a hold on himself and extended his arms in order to somersault, and as such the impact of hitting the ground wasn't very strong. He came to a stop and glanced up at the crazed man, gasping when he saw a glint of metal in the early morning light.

Andrew's voice was noticeably quivering now. "You lead them right to us, I know it for sure now. You penguins can't be redeemed. You'll only do what furthers your own goals."

He pointed the handgun directly at Private. The penguin attempted to wave his flippers in a calming manner, but Andrew's eyes were glazed over behind his glasses. "You tell me where X is," he seethed, "you do it right now."

Private shook his head intensely, hoping that any semblance of his communication made it through to Andrew. He had no idea where X was.

"You've got until the count of three."

Private hopped up and down, pleading, but his actions' meanings fell on deaf ears.

"One."

The bird glanced around briefly to see if there was anything that could help him, but there was nothing.

"Two."

For a moment, Private's eyes locked with the ex-businessman's. He hoped that maybe he could communicate that he was still the same penguin that Andrew had scooped off the floor when everyone else thought he was dead. But even through the businessman's rage, he was able to see the monster Private had become.

"Three."

Private closed his eyes, not sure what to expect. Would he hear the gunshot, or would it end before the sound reached his ears? Actually, a sound did reach his ears. But it wasn't a gunshot. Andrew had hesitated, and in place of the gunpowder explosion was a high-pitched ringing. Andrew's face fell blank, and he lowered the weapon. Private found himself stunned that he could still breathe and didn't move.

Andrew moved for the origin of the sound, which seemed to be coming from the van. He leaned into it and emerged with a small cell phone, which was buzzing and ringing furiously in his hand. Meanwhile, Private felt his legs and flippers once more and was able to dash underneath the vehicle, where he was still able to see the human.

Andrew flipped the phone open, and brought it to his ear. He paused for a minute before saying shakily, "Hello?"

A pause followed. Private thought he should make his escape, but opted to stay just moment longer to see if he could discern what the crazy man was doing

"Who is this?" Andrew asked.

Private's pounding headache returned, and he winced. The tenseness of the situation a moment ago had left him feeling even more nauseous than before.

"He's missing." Andrew stated, then listened to whoever was on the other side of the phone. "Yes, this is Andrew." More silence. "I think the Torturer got him; you're familiar with him, yes?" Another pause, then Andrew's mouth dropped open. He stuttered, then said, "How do you know where he is?"

Private decided it was time to make his escape. Whoever was on the other end of that phone conversation knew where Officer X was. It could be a trap, but at this point he wasn't concerned. He merely was relieved that it would get Andrew out of their feathers for the time being.

Shaken by being held at gunpoint, but his resolve not weakened, Private made his way into the Lemur habitat. He headed straight for the alcove where he had once bound Hans, hoping that he would find the puffin there. However, when Private entered the space, the sight that greeted his eyes alarmed him.

"What happened here?" He asked. Maurice looked up at him from behind a red-blotched rag. The ground around showed obvious signs of a scuffle. Nearby sat Mort, whose mouth was ringed with red but didn't seem to notice.

The wide aye-aye lemur glared at him. "I _told_ you he was insane!" His voice was booming with anger and fear, and Private tried to shush him to avoid attracting unwanted attention. Maurice huffed. "He's probably back working with Clemson. We should have never trusted him."

"You mean Hans?"

"No, I mean the Mayor of New York—Duh, of course I mean Hans!"

Private shook his head with disbelief. "What did he do?"

"I bite him," Mort said, and playfully munched on his forearm. Private saw his eyes were blank over as though he was in some kind of trance, but there was no time to worry for the small lemur.

"Yeah, got him real good, too," affirmed the other lemur. "Not sure he'll be able to use his other wing, now. Good riddance. The son of a gun clobbered me upside the head with a rock after I said I wouldn't help him stock the zoo with explosives."

Private's heart sank. Had Hans revealed their plan? He put on a face of ignorance and asked, "What do you mean, explosives?"

"Hell if I know!" Maurice exclaimed, throwing his arms up. Private caught a glance of a nasty gash on the top of his head. "I think he's got it in for all of us, though. He asked us to help almost immediately after we heard about Julien from Skipper. Shoot, man, I hadn't even had a chance to think about that, and now this."

Private wanted to stay on the subject. "Where did Hans go?"

"Far, far away," Mort mumbled nearby.

"I mean, did you see which direction he went?"

"No way, man," Maurice responded. "We were just glad he ran off. Even if he went back to Clemson, though, it didn't explain why he sounded so urgent to stock the zoo with explosives. Didn't he have something against Skipper? Maybe..." Maurice's voice trailed off as his eyes lit up with realization.

Private snatched his snout as soon as it began to open, shooting a concerned glance towards Mort, who still seemed to be off in his own little world. "Whatever you just thought," he said, darkly, "you tell_ no one_. Understood?"

Maurice gave a slow nod, his massive eyes twitching with fear at Private's harsh action. When Private released the mammal's snout, he snorted. Then he looked at the penguin and said, "This isn't just about getting the people back, is it?"

Private decided not to respond. Things were a lot more urgent than he had anticipated. Now Skipper was probably going to find out about what he had planned, though he tried to push that concern to the back of his mind. So many things were happening in such a short amount of time; he had to make sure he kept his priorities straight. He turned to leave, deciding going out to look for Hans was more productive than sitting here in and arguing.

"Where are you going?" He heard Maurice ask.

"I've got to fix something," was all he offered in return.

The round bird hurried out of the enclosure then, his head foggy. For a moment his mind fell blank and he forgot what he needed to do, but a jolting pain in his head reminded him. His vision had become foggy now, however, and it felt as though there was some kind of weight on his chest. He wasn't sure if it was fear because of Skipper potentially finding out about what he had plotted, or if he was nervous to confront Hans. Either way, he pressed a flipper roughly to his forehead and pressed on. If Hans wasn't in the lemur enclosure, there was only one other place he thought the puffin could be.

Private clambered through the broken wall and into the park, entirely forgetting about the fact that Marlene could be lurking around any tree, ready to strike. He stumbled a bit through patches of grass that had grown tall from lack of groundskeeping, and hurried when he saw the small, wooden shack in between a couple of ravaged trees.

Wasting no time, he barged up to the fireworks shack and burst the door open. He wasn't surprised to see the bird he needed to talk to in the middle of the room, continuing to toy with individual rockets. His container of black powder had become more full since they last spoke. Hans turned to see him and smiled. Private glanced at the puffin's good wing, where a fresh red-stained bandage was wound. It looked like Mort had really taken a good chunk out of it.

"Ah, Mr. Private," Hans greeted. His smile faded when he saw the stoney face of the penguin across from him.

Private wanted to say something, but it was as if his mouth wouldn't respond. He tried to formulate his demands, but the fog in his mind obscured them. Instead, he stormed over to the container of black powder. With a heaving grunt, he overturned it, coating the floorboards with the volatile chemical. He turned quickly and backed up, expecting Hans to pounce in defence.

The other bird didn't move, though. He didn't even look angry, actually. In fact, he looked unmoved, even in some ways satisfied. Private raised both a brow and his flippers in a defensive action.

"As I expected," Hans commented. "Backing out now, are we?"

Private finally found his voice. "You need to get far, far away from here," he said, as threateningly as he could make himself out to be.

"Why?" Hans asked, calmly but defiantly. He took a step closer to the penguin and Private felt his heart beat harder. "Did we not have a deal? You help me deal with my Skipper problem, I help you deal with your Kowalski problem?"

"The deal's off," Private said, then thought of Maurice and Mort. He figured it would make a good reason to call off the hit. "As soon as you attacked my friends, you crossed the line."

Hans chuckled, and Private grimaced. "Which friends have I attacked, Mr. Private? The ones you've been keeping ignorant? Most certainly not the friends you abandoned, or let die. Or are you talking about the ones you want to kill?"

"Shut up!" Private screamed, his vision growing more cloudy with every throb of his head. He wasn't sure he could deal with this right now, but knew he had to. He pointed harshly to the door of the shack. "Get out of here. Get far away from here before… before I break your other wing, too."

Hans raised an eyebrow. He ran his good wing up and down his broken one and said, "So you admit you wanted to control me from the start. You broke my wing, not the storm."

"Yes. I didn't think I could trust you without you having a dependency on me. I'll break your other wing in a heartbeat." Private was growing anxious now, like some unseen force was over him. "Now leave. Skipper will know about you within the hour, and he will break you even if I don't."

Hans seemed slightly surprised by this, but his facade didn't fall. "So you've not only sought to control me, you've betrayed me as well." Hans' beak was now inches from the tip of Private's, and Private could smell the bird's breath. Private attempted to shove the puffin away from him in disgust, but the bird caught his flipper with his good wing and held it in a tight grip, catching Private off guard. Through his blurry vision, he could see Hans eyes bore into his own like icy daggers.

"I should have assumed you would back out. You are but a child, Mr. Private. A lost, scared, lonely child that has failed everyone but yourself. You can't discern right from wrong. What is de life of two penguins compared to de lives of all the humans? Compared to the lives of my family?"

Private wrenched his flipper out of the puffin's wing and took a step back. He wanted to defend himself, but the puffin's words sunk in deep and he didn't know what to say. His head continued to pound, and he began to feel weak. Finally he said, "What of your family? They died in the crossfire caused by the atrocities committed by Caspian Fishslader. What does killing Skippah even accomplish?"

"Fishslader promised us a good life," Hans argued. "He purchased fish from us, gave us supplies for shelter, tools to make life easier. Skipper took it all away." The puffin's face was dark. His voice grew quiet as he said, "My wife and child, Mr. Private. Skipper took them away. Putting him in the dirt will be reconciliation for what he took from me."

Private shook his head. "Skippah took nothing from you. He took down a monster, and by doing so gave life to a world on the brink of death. Your should be angry with Fishslader, if nobody else. It was his slave driving that caused the base to explode."

"Enough." Hans waved a flipper. "I will not stand to be talked down to by you, _Private_. Say what you will. I will get to Skipper with or without you."

Private winced as a particularly strong pain shot through his forehead. "Don't you believe me?" He paused for a second as Hans scowled. After the pang of pain had subsided, the pain in his head lulled for long enough that he was able to think somewhat clearly. He thought of Manfredi, and how wrapped up in the idea of revenge he had become after the loss of his family. Private realized something. "Actually, you don't want to believe me," he said, more softly now. "If what I say is true, you will lose your outlet. Killing the skippah will fulfill you in some way. You just don't want to let it go. Believing me would mean you'd have to."

Hans didn't respond, just glared at him. When he spoke, it was slow. "Mr. Rockgut Junior always did say you had a big heart. Is this it, showing through now? I'm not sure. You are as broken as I, _Private_."

Hans' words hit Private heard. He had forgotten what he was once like. He always looked for the best side of people, even when they had vendettas like Hans. He still genuinely believed everyone had a good side to them, some unknown force urging them to do good work in the world. Why had he suppressed that side so much? Was it because of the dark task asked of him?

Hans interrupted his thoughts. "Mark my words, I will bury Skipper. You will regret this day, Private."

As Hans moved to exit the hut, Private felt his flippers tense. Would he just let the puffin go? Would he be a threat to Skipper? Private felt as though his legs were locked to the ground, and didn't budge. The puffin exited the hut, and walked into the park. Private turned to look at the overturned box of explosives, the empty rocket shells that sat in a huge pile in the corner, the small collection of knives and tools that Hans had been using to extract the powder. He felt a wave of grief hit him when he imagined Skipper going up in a cloud of smoke, vaporized instantly by the explosion. How could he have been so stupid?

At that moment he realized finding himself again after the Antechamber was the hardest thing he had been asked to do.

Feeling claustrophobic now, he waddled out of the hut. His headache had waned, but now he felt exhausted. Every inch of his body was felt as though the energy had been zapped from it, and his head was still foggy. The day was bright now, and the warm sun on his feathers gave him a little bit of warmth that rose from inside him.

He began to waddle back to the zoo when a slight rustling from overhead caught his attention. He looked up and nearly jumped when he saw a familiar brown otter. Her eyes looked blank, her claws were fully extended, and the hair on her back bristled with the light breeze that blew through the trees. The thought of running crossed through Private's mind, but he dismissed it. He wouldn't be able to outrun Marlene in her feral state anyway.

She huffed upon noticing that he saw her, and crouched as though she was about to pounce. Private's heart was racing, but amazingly, he didn't feel scared. Unsure why this was, and head still buzzing, he put his flippers over his head and bowed his head toward the ground in a defeated manner.

"Do it," he said, "rip me to shreds. I deserve everything you give me. Julien died because of me. And I don't even have the courage to follow through with what he died to accomplish."

He closed his eyes as he heard a thump on the ground near him. Marlene had jumped from the tree. She stalked up to him, and with every step she took Private felt his heart skip a beat. He was shaking now, primordial fear finally bubbling up from deep inside him. He wouldn't run, though. He wouldn't fight. He would accept what he deserved. Hans was right. He was a child, and he had realized what he did wrong far too late.

He winced as he felt a sharp claw scrape the side of his beak. This was it, he realized. He flinched, expecting the worst.

Then, nothing.


	57. A Fate Undetermined

**The Power of Silence  
>Chapter 56 - A Fate Undetermined<strong>

**EDGAR WAVED AT THE MAN IN THE STRIPED SUIT AS HE FADED INTO DARKNESS AT THE END OF THE HALLWAY.**

The penguin wasn't sure how long they had been talking. It could have been a few hours, or it could have been a few days. The only thing he could judge time by was his growling stomach. He rubbed it and was astonished to feel the outline of his bones under his skin and feathers. When was the last time he had eaten? He couldn't remember. He did know one thing for sure, though: his twitch had still not gone away. Every spasm brought with it a new wave of annoyance.

He waddled over to his pack and dug through for some of the fish he had stashed there before making his way to the Penguin City. He grimaced when his flipper touched something sticky and as a stark stench entered his nostrils. It had been a long time indeed since he had even thought about food. He had planned to leave the temple every couple of weeks to do some fishing. Now, he had nothing to eat and he wasn't sure he had the strength to get to the water.

His worry subsided almost immediately, though. His thoughts seemed to be much clearer now than they had been in weeks, and he remembered that he had snatched a few tins of sardines from the Researcher's ship. Hastily he dug in the side pocket of his pack where he had stashed them, and was happy to see they remained safely there. It would be enough to get him going again.

As he ate the salty fish, he thought about his current predicament. Had he gone insane? He could hardly remember anything since he arrived at the Temple. He had to rack his brain for a moment to remember how he even got there. It took a few minutes before the two penguins who had led him here materialized in his mind; Dmitri and Irena.

Johnson had talked greatly in his notes about how prolonged exposure to the Sun's energy could have adverse effects on the mind. Why hadn't he been more careful about that? He figured maybe he didn't fully believe what the Sun was actually capable of, when he first got here. Which was weird, considering he had seen what it did to Caspian. After all, part of the reason he could never fully instate the safety checks to keep his facility from exploding was because Caspian wouldn't put the damn thing down.

Edgar glanced up at the Sun and the mysterious, shrinking portal. If it hadn't been for the man in the striped suit, he would probably have died of self-induced malnutrition simply as a consequence of his sheer awe at such a mysterious artifact. He wished he had approached the man sooner. Their discussion had been enlightening, to say the least.

For a moment Edgar wished he could talk to the man some more. After all, he had once looked up to the man for everything: education, guidance, purpose. Now, even in the man's death, he still provided these things. The man helped him to accept what he had known all along. And now, as he had promised the man, it was time for him to leave.

The penguin set the empty tin on the tile next to him and glanced back at his pack. Next to it was Johnson's notebook. He hadn't written anything since the man had appeared to him. If he was to leave, he should most definitely write another entry. This experience did not make him forget the processes of a good scientist.

The penguin waddled over, eye twitching with the beat of his heart, grabbed his pen, and began to write.

* * *

><p><strong>A Study of the Sun<br>****May... ****June...**** Unknown Date**

_A friend once taught me an important lesson. He said in order to understand the mysteries of the universe, we must continuously be looking at it from new angles. The Sun is no different. All this time I had been trying to understand it with established practice, theory, and the physical laws that organisms have come to obey. It seems as though the Sun is of an entirely different set of laws, however._

_All this time I have been searching for the library Johnson described, which he claimed existed behind any one of the many doors lining the halls of this temple. When I opened the rooms, I expected to see walls of books, while not even wondering who wrote those books, or how they were written in a language Johnson could even understand. The only conclusion for Johnson's library is that it never existed._

_Likewise, my library doesn't exist. It's a phantom, a vision from my past, spawned entirely from my own imagination. It reminds me of a time I once felt safe. Protected, guided, and loved. For Johnson, it's a place-a physical library. For me, it's the man who educated me, and gave me a chance to be more than the average penguin, in hopes that I would use my education to do well in the world._

_It is interesting how the phantom seemed to know things I didn't, yet claimed to know nothing more than I do. He told me things that I hadn't yet realized, but somehow I was aware of. It's like the phantom drew on what I already knew but didn't want to accept. The Sun is the perfect example of this._

_I'm aware that the Sun eliminated every human being from the surface of the world. The whispers that occasionally escape the portal are a clear indicator of the souls held in limbo within. They sound scared. When I first arrived with the two penguins who led me here, I thought it was none of my worry. I stood by while they used the Sun to absorb all the souls on the Earth, merely because I wanted to see what could happen. The truth is, I always knew what would happen. Caspian Fishslader would have done this in a heartbeat if he knew it was possible. Instead, he resorted to killing off the nations of the world by pitting them against one another, setting the entire balance of the world into turmoil. Now that I think about it, his plan was a folly: it was only a matter of time before we were discovered. I'm more thankful now than ever that Skipper, Manfredi, and Johnson stepped in the way they did._

_This is why I'm going to freeze the portal. The twitching of my eye has helped me see why it is shrinking. With every twitch of my eye-every pulse of life energy from the Sun-the artifact absorbs a bit more of the portal. It was spawned from the life energy, and being in close proximity to it send the energy pulling right back into it. And when the portal finally collapses, the souls trapped inside the Sun will be eliminated. If I don't intervene, that will happen in a few hours._

_Would the man who educated me want to see the portal collapse? I wonder, am I making the right decision? The Earth could have a fresh start, free from human contamination. But is it really fair to end the lives of billions of innocents to rid the world of a few corrupt souls? The innocents don't deserve this fate. That's what the man would have said. He knew he was wrong by a few corrupt government officials, and he wanted to take down the United States government, but he never wanted to hurt the citizens. That's what I failed to see when I ran away those few fateful days before the facility exploded, taking everyone I knew with it. The man wanted to do good._

_I have no prediction as to what will happen to me. Even contained on its pedestal, the Sun is having adverse effects on my mind. I can hardly think straight anymore. I have a damned twitch that just won't go away. If I pull it off the second pedestal and travel with it for even a short period of time, I can't say I won't go insane. I could become the next Caspian. I could hide the Sun to myself while the world perishes entirely because it stopped functioning. The death of planet Earth could be all because of me._

_If I'm not to do it, however, who will? I haven't the time to search for help; anyone nearby wouldn't understand the power the Sun holds anyway. This responsibility rests on my shoulders alone. Should I fail, world will too._

_That begs the question of where I should go. I have learned from the apparition-and thereby myself-that the portal is like a keyhole, and there exists a key to unlock it. When unlocked, the souls within should be let free. What is this key, though? And where does one find it? It could be anything, but I have a strong idea of where to begin._

_A connection is all I need. Johnson's journal was the connection that got me this far. Why wouldn't this connection lead to even more? Then those connections could lead me to this proverbial key. Then maybe the humans who once dominated planet Earth might have a chance to try it again. Is that that the right decision? I'm not exactly sure._

…

_..._

…

_Perhaps I will let the key decide for me._

* * *

><p>Finishing his last thought, Edgar closed the journal and put it into his backpack. It wasn't of much use to him anymore, but he figured it would be good to pass it on if he ever had the right opportunity to do so.<p>

He dug deep into the pack and pulled out the small device that Dmitri had given to him before they had parted ways. This was his connection. He had brought the device too close to the Sun during one of his previous experiments, and the bleeping it emitted had drawn his attention. The penguin got up and waddled over to the hovering artifact, and held it up where it could once more receive power.

A few seconds later, sure enough, the device powered on and began emitting its familiar, dull beeping sound. The screen on the device powered on, and displayed on it were four dots in a relatively small area. He had no idea what the dots were, but he saw how they were hovering over New York City on the device's built-in map. The man in the striped suit had told him this was where he was to start. But in reality, he knew it all along. He just wished he had realized it sooner.

After all, the pack was left there by those who traveled with Manfredi to stop Caspian. Edgar offered a sideways glance to the rotting carcases he had moved to the corner. Whoever had come with them was still alive, and this was some kind of tracking instrument that would lead him right to them.

Maybe then he would be able to find the key to the fate of the humans.

* * *

><p><strong>~Author's Note:<strong> It's crazy to think I started this fiction over two years ago now. I had honestly hoped to complete it a long time ago, but waning interest has gotten the better of me. Good news is there's only a couple of chapters left, now. I'm undecided on whether or not I'll actually try to write the third book I had planned. While I have some good ideas, I'm just not feeling it right now. Let me know what you think.

Oh, and a **big** thanks to all the continued support I'm getting, especially those reviewers who have stuck around through my hiatuses. You guys are the best!


	58. Discontinuation

**The Power of Silence  
>Discontinuation<strong>

It seems like it's time I finally put this story to rest.

It's been nearly a year since the last time I posted a new chapter, and I'll be honest, I haven't even started the next chapter. It's basically gotten to the point where I've forgotten how I was going to end this story. I have some notes that I took way back when I finished part one, but those are outdated and I've drifted too far away from them to be useful.

My mistakes were many: After finishing part one of the book, I took too long between chapters, didn't properly plan them out, and started incorporating additional subplots I never intended. Characters were running in circles, Private was loosing any redeeming qualities he had left, Dmitri and Irena were becoming useless, and the themes of the story became indistinguishable from the drivel I was writing.

For a while, writing this story became purely about the word count; hence why it has peaked at over 170,000 words. I padded out the length with moody and awkward conversations between characters that didn't move the plot forward. When things finally got going now near the end, I felt my characters were unlikeable, which is what I never intended.

Of course, this should be expected when writing a novel this long, right? The only reason _The Speed of Darkness_ turned out alright was because I had made sure I had a detailed story outline before going into it, and stuck to it. Even then, it could use a lot of trimming and revision. _The Power of Silence_ turned into a pile of steaming plot spaghetti with too many lines to track, so I never bothered to track them. I could cut some out and revise, but that brings me to a problem bigger than my own doubts in this story.

Time. I started this trilogy in my senior year of high school, way back in September of 2009. That was over five years ago. I've invested countless hours into this book series, and I have countless more to help it become a decent story. To even properly finish _The Power of SIlence_, I would have to write at least 25,000-30,000 more words. Then there's the third book, which would easily be another 150,000+ word monster. That's time I'm just not willing to invest in this medium anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I deeply, _deeply_, enjoyed writing this trilogy so far. I loved being able to craft my own story using some of the characters I've learned to love, giving them depth Dreamworks will always be too scared to even shake a stick at, making them feel real, concrete, _whole_. Making them make decisions I would be too scared to make. Putting them through the experiences I couldn't survive. It's been... magical. I don't regret it one bit.

As much as I enjoy writing, however, my true love is in storytelling. I love crafting worlds, storylines, and characters. Now that I'm out of college and I have the technical knowledge need to pursue it, I'm moving this love of mine to game development. Developing games that have stories that _mean something_ has been my biggest dream since I was young. I always figured I'd never be able to obtain it. It was too farfetched, too hard to be an indie dev, too hard to become successful. Recently I've realized, my dreams are what I make them. All I have to do is reach out and take a chance.

So I'll be taking my time and moving it to developing a game. I'm about two months into a project already. The story of it is based off a PoM fanfiction idea I had some time ago but never fully wrote. It's going to have unique gameplay mechanics and it's going to tell a story, just like I always envisioned.

It's with a heavy heart that I finally say, I'm moving on. My only regret is that I will be leaving you, the readers of this trilogy, hanging on with no idea of how the trilogy will end. You won't even be getting the ending to this story. For that I say, I'm sorry. I'm deeply sorry. Your reviews are what kept me going, talking with you about elements, distinguishing how my writing could improve from you. You kept me going this long.

It is for this reason that I make this offer to anyone willing to take it: take this story up and run with it. Continue the storyline I decided to leave hanging. It's not over yet, unless you choose it to be so. Decide the fates of Private, Dimitri, and the others. It's up to you.

If you're interested in continuing _The Sun Chronicles_, or you're just curious, feel free to PM me for an idea of how I was going to finish this book and write the third. I've got a foggy memory of what I had planned originally, and I'll try to give you a good summary. I'll avoid putting that here, though, for fear of spoiling those who don't want to know about it.

Does this mean I'm completely done writing? Probably not. I really did enjoy writing this, and I've got some ideas still bouncing around my head. However, anything I do write will not be on this scale.

Again, it is with a heavy heart that I finally discontinue this story and its respected trilogy. I've appreciated each and every one of the reviews this story series has received. I've enjoyed creating this experience for you, and I hope you got something out of it, too.

If you want to follow the development of my upcoming game, feel free to follow it on twitter Death_Is_Fate. I post development updates there fairly regularly. I've also got a facebook, which you can find by searching Cudabear. Finally, feel free to check my website (linked on my profile page) for general news and full-length development rundowns on my blog.

Thank you all again. This journey has been a pleasure. I've grown so much with what I've received from this community. Maybe you'll see me around here again. Maybe you won't. Either way, I'll miss it.

~Cudabear


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